ABSTRACT
Violent conflicts are by no means new to Yemen. For centuries, the country has been plagued with political and social instability. The current conflict is, however, the longest, bloodiest, and most destructive in Yemen’s recent history. We first explore the underlying causes of the conflict, including the presence of a weak state, economic deterioration, foreign intervention, corruption, and the marginalization of key local areas and groups. Our analysis corrects some ubiquitous misconceptions found in the literature on the Yemeni conflict. We then examine the dire consequences of the conflict on the economy and the social fabric of the country, and discuss the peace-building process and post-conflict economic reconstruction. We conclude that a new social contract, acceptable to all parties in the conflict must be put in place in which political and social institutions are rebuilt to ensure reconstruction and a lasting national peace.
