ABSTRACT
The persistent recurrence of war and conflict has shaped modern Yemen, leaving a legacy of destruction, human suffering, disruption of livelihoods, and social dislocations and divisions. As is generally the case in wars and conflicts, civilians in Yemen bear the brunt of the costs of war. When a war or conflict is raging, scholarship tends to focus on its root causes, its destructive and harrowing impact, and/or possible ways of mitigating its effects or ending it. The approach we have adopted in this book is different in an important respect. While taking stock of the multifaceted aspects of the ongoing conflict in Yemen, this book has sought to integrate a futurist perspective, whereby a deep look into various dimensions of the conflict is paired with informed insights on post-conflict reconstruction—highlighting potential directions and scenarios and unpacking the complex interplay of multi-sectoral challenges that lie ahead. In this approach, we have been guided by our firm belief that conflict and post-conflict reconstruction are in many ways intertwined. Accordingly, a meaningful speculative glimpse into and fuller engagement with the issues and challenges of future postwar reconstruction in Yemen requires adequate understanding of the conflict and the contentious issues at stake. It is our sincere hope that policymakers and other stakeholders in the process of post-conflict recovery and reconstruction will find the insights presented in this volume useful and take them into account if and when this process takes off. Needless to say that the sooner this process starts, the better, especially for Yemenis reeling from the deadly horrors of war.
