Yemen's Forgotten War Comes Home to Roost. Nobel Laureate Tawakkol Karman Warned Us

Yemen’s war is often described by humanitarian workers as one often forgotten, till the global economic impact comes home to roost. In the past few weeks, it has.

What’s the latest?

• Oil prices surge and remain unsettled with Brent crude above $100 a barrel.
• Driven by Houthi strikes on Riyadh, which have escalated.
• Tanker attacks in Strait of Hormuz are also driving fears of Middle East conflict expanding, driving price volatility.
• Three people dead in Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport, including Captain of Saudi Arabia’s national carrier.
• Air India and Lufthansa have suspended flights to Riyadh. UK Foreign Office warning against all but essential travel.
• Half of all departures cancelled from Riyadh. More cancellations from all Saudi Airports.
• Major global shortfall of refined products.
• Diesel prices in Europe, for example, surged 8% this week.
• US President Donald Trump pauses Iran attacks, China restarts fuel exports to stabilise markets

 What’s Happened?

This week’s direct attacks on the Saudi capital follow a series of escalation over the past few weeks. An UN-brokered truce that largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022 has broken down with a resumption of hostilities between the Houthis and the Saudi Arabia Backed national government.

 In early September, Houthi fighters swept down the coast of the Red Sea, taking control of a key shipping chokepoint - the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait – a crucial shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia. They also seized the port of Mokha, escalating the war. Global Oil prices reacted almost immediately with, yet another chokepoint now threatened.

In an already precarious humanitarian situation, the World Food Programme as of October 1, 2026, says now three in four families are going hungry in parts of Yemen embroiled in new fighting.

The fighting has driven the share of households without sufficient food to 74% in government-controlled areas accessible to WFP, with the total population of government-held areas is estimated at around 10 million people.

The WFP warnings are dire. 149,000 people have been newly displaced, on top of 5.2 million already displaced by the civil war. Prices of basic staples like wheat and vegetable oil are skyrocketing in a country where most live on $1.19 a day, with almost 90% of its food imported. And the WFP further warns depleting relief stocks risk widening aid gaps.

In a country rife with poverty, the recruitment of child soldiers has always been high, more so as the war escalates. But a new wave of child recruitment is taking shape again, per human rights watchers and the Saudi backed national government.

The promise of a monthly salary in a country with out-of-control inflation is prompting families to sign up their boys, younger than the international law requirement of 18 years old. That minimum age requirement is also part of a UN action plan that the Houthis signed up to in 2022.

 The news flow in the meantime is awash in geopolitical intrigue, with headlines like: A US government employee from the US state of Washington being arrested for providing “specialised expertise” to aid the Houthis, Saudi Arabia providing the government with $60 million in new budget support, attacks on Medina power station or Iranian weapons, Chinese supplies fuelling the Houthi advance.

The world is debating whom and how to engage to de-escalate the latest crisis and free up the flow of oil tankers. The Saudi backed government or the Iran backed Houthis?

 But the longer-term answer may lie in the group no one is engaging, often only portraying them as victims. The people of Yemen.

 As Chair of the Globsec Women Leaders Council I had the pleasure a few months ago in to be with Tawakkol Karman Nobel Peace Prize (2011) laureate. Dubbed ‘Mother of the Revolution’ for her role in Yemen’s Arab Spring uprising, she underscored a key warning to the world at the Globsec Forum:

• That Iran’s leverage was dangerous and that Yemen had become a theatre of varied interests.
• Most importantly, that the international community would find a long term and sustainable solution for lasting peace (and a more stable oil transit corridor) if it heard and empowered the people of Yemen instead.

 It seems no one heeded her advice in the months since, but perhaps it is not too late.

Her conversation at the Globsec Forum in Prague in May with award winning journalist Kimberly Dozier is below. The transcript provided has been lightly edited for flow.

Tawakkol Karman: Yemen's Story

Tawakkol Karman:

Yemen is suffering from the worst humanitarian catastrophe as it is described by the UN. After that Gaza came, after that Lebanon came. But Yemen has really suffered from war and Houthi militia coup.

So, what is happening now, the deterioration in the humanitarian field is – there is no salary, there is no real education, there is no health system. There is deterioration in everything and there is a war economy growing everywhere.

Kimberly Dozier:

So, no services in all three areas?

Tawakkol Karman:

No, you can’t say in all three areas, but the situation is bad everywhere. It is in some way worse in some areas more than others.  But it’s the citizens, the Yemeni people that are suffering from the absence of a state. From the collapse of the state. So, the state itself has collapsed, because of the Houthi militia coup that happened in 2014. And after that the war waged by Saudi and Emirates and the Houthi militia coup itself.

 So, when we talk about the situation in Yemen, we have to say what is happening and why it has caused it? To stop this catastrophe, we have to go to the root – which is – Why the Houthi militia’s coup happened?

It was the result of the counter-revolution. The militia are one of the hands of the regional counter-revolution against the Yemeni peaceful revolution (Arab Spring) in 2011. The coup happened; they occupied the capital and some territories of Yemen. About 70-75% of Yemen is out of their control though, ruled by the internationally recognised government.

So, on one hand there are areas controlled by the Houthi militia, where they take no responsibility for the Yemeni people under their control. On the other hand, there are also liberated cities, about 75% of Yemen ruled by the recognised government. But they are so weak. They couldn’t implement the rule of law, they could give services to the people. And one of the most important reasons – our alliance with the government - They don't want it to be strong. They don't want the legitimacy to return. Here I am talking about the UAE.

Kimberly Dozier:

The Saudis don’t want it to be strong?

Tawakkol Karman:

Most importantly is the UAE, Emirates. Emirates is supporting militia in Yemen. Instead, they claim they will face the Houthi militia and help the legitimate government to restore Yemen. Instead, they created another militia. They supported separatists (Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the south, and they didn’t allow the legitimate government to rule the country in 75% of Yemen.

Kimberly Dozier:

So, we basically have two Gulf nations facing off through two parts of Yemen and sometimes together, fighting the Iranian backed Houthis. When you were known as the mother (the face) of the Arab Spring in Yemen, what was the movement trying to do and how big do you think the movement was?

Tawakkol Karman:

Look, it’s very important that we have to know that the peaceful revolution came against the dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh and the dictatorship itself. And came for democracy, for freedom, for rule of law and for peace. And we won the battle, against Ali Abdullah Saleh the dictator in a peaceful way. And this is very important, that we led the transitional period after we forced (out) the dictator to leave authority, in a very good way.  Three years of giving people our all. So, when we talk about the movement – First, making a country that has an armed society with almost 70 million pieces of weapons, motivating them lay down those weapons and go peacefully against the dictator. And after that, when we led the transitional period, we got it right. Especially the right to expression.  The economy at that time became stable.

After that, the coup happened.

You asked me if it’s a civil war? No, it is not a civil war in Yemen.

It's a counter revolution, led by regional countries that don’t want the Arab Spring. That don’t want peaceful revolution in Yemen, the Yemini spring to win. It is a war against democracy. The Houthi militia is the face of the counter revolution.

They were supported by the way from the beginning, by UAE, and with Saudi Arabia’s blessing at that time. After which Iran became happy and supported them.

So, the Houthi militia is the face of the counter revolution.

The separatist groups are the face of the counter revolution in Yemen and all of them – don’t want Yemen to be free. Especially the regional powers behind them, Iran and Emirates. Let’s exclude Saudi Arabia a little bit because now they are renewing and fixing their strategy in Yemen with good methods to support unification of Yemen.

Kimberly Dozier:

Are you working with them, as one of the NGOs arguing for true democracy in Yemen and unification? Can you see yourself working with any of the gulf countries towards that?

Tawakkol Karman: 

Yes. Any country, especially the Gulf countries, the ones who support Yemen, support unification, and support democracy, support a new, strong Yemen. One of the reasons there was a very strong conspiracy against the revolution, and a new Yemen was because there we were supposed to have a referendum for a constitution a few months before the coup happened. Because they don’t want Yemen to be strong. We have all the ability and all the capability to be strong.

Even with the UAE, if they will change their strategy to support Yemen, we are with them. I was always and still am against the bad policies of Saudi Arabia in Yemen and always have condemned them. But now there is improvement in that they are supporting unification. And I hope they will continue this rule.  

The problem with us and all Arab Spring in surrounding countries is that unfortunately the UAE supports separatists in Sudan, separatists in Yemen.

Kimberly Dozier:

I’d like to turn to Iran. What do you think of the US-Israel attack on Iran? Do you think it is going to produce long term instability?

Tawakkol Karman:

Of course.

I am with the Iranian revolution against the authoritarian regime. I think what is happening with this war is, empowering the Iranian regime against the people. The revolutionary people in Iran are weaker than before.

Iran unfortunately are now using Hormuz Strait and their alliance with the Houthi militia they are also controlling the Bab el-Mandab Strait.

Kimberly Dozier:

Bab el-Mandeb has been open since the Trump administration brokered a peace deal between Hamas and Israel, but there has always been the threat that if the US resumes attacks on Iran, the Iranian government might call the Houthis into service, so to speak.

But someone from the Trump administration may push back and say “well we are weakening the Iranian government and that means there are less Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp money for the Houthis” – you don’t think it will leave them weaker?

Tawakkol Karman:

No, I don’t believe that giving the justification for militias or dictatorship to oppress their people is the way to help people. While I also believe that the US doesn't want, especially the Trump administration doesn't to liberate the Iranian people. They want to occupy Iran; they want to take its wealth etc. because there is a very bad policy in Iran.

But if the world, if the international community want to help Iranian people or Yemeni people – because the Houthi militia is the most dangerous entity against global security. And if they want to stop Iran from interfering in Yemen or otherwise, it is not by war like that.

It is by supporting people in the in the land.

It's by supporting Yemeni people, in Yemen, against the Houthi militia.

Kimberly Dozier:

You were the first woman in the Arab world who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. And a lot of people think that once someone's won something, that's it, that's done. But you've had plenty of fights since then.

Um, you resigned from the Islah Party, which is a party related to the Muslim brotherhood. You've taken a lot of criticism for, in interviews, I think you supported Muhammad Morsi, of the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt, who has some controversial ideas about women. His government was against the UN draft resolution, to stop violence against women, because he said they interfered with the man's right to discipline their wives.

So, can you describe how you have thread this needle of activism, but also your support for what some call a traditional Islamic woman's role, and some, especially in Western feminism call restrictive?

Tawakkol Karman:

I support women everywhere. And I think Muslim women, Christian women, Jewish women, non-believer a woman, should be in the front line.

And we should not label anyone according to their religion, their colour, their sex, their countries. We belong to an international struggle for freedom, for human rights, for dignity and for democracy. And because of that, I'm continuing my role against dictatorship everywhere.

Because of that you still see the criticism against me. She is a Nobel Prize winner; she has to be quiet.

No, I am there – against dictators and I am there to tell the truth. Who is behind the crisis in our region? And this is Tawakkol from day one and until now. I am against dictators and I am with people.

I am against Trump. I am against Putin. I am against dictators in my country. I am against Milita – but I am with people and will continue my struggle with people. Our slogan is freedom, democracy and justice. And we will not give up our call, because dictators gather themselves very well, now than before as they continue to bully and attack us.

Kimberly Dozier:

My last question is - to women out there, but also especially to Muslim women who are torn between Western rights and Islamic rights…

Tawakkol Karman:

There are no differences between western rights and Islamic rights. They are the same when it comes to freedom, justice, democracy, equality, acceptance – this is Muslim’s rights, the right of all religions. The problem is when you have double standards which happened with Western rights.

Kimberly Dozier:

How so?

Tawakkol Karman:

Unfortunately, they raised rights and the idea that they are the guardians of freedom and democracy. Unfortunately, at the same time they played out their double standard.

Kimberly Dozier:

Give me an example.

Tawakkol Karman:

Recently, with the genocide in Gaza, for example. This is very important thing.

So, it showed how this Western right didn’t really fulfil its commitment to all humans in general.

Kimberly Dozier:

I've got to say in the Arab world, um, the IDF actions in Gaza are often called a genocide, and of course, in Israel, they are called the appropriate reaction to October 7th.

Tawakkol Karman:

I don’t know if reasonable and just people would describe it as a fair military action against Gaza's people. Here, I question the “values.”

And it’s not just for Gaza. For us! The alliance between Western governments, not Western people because Western people are so great – Its Western governments with dictators in our region is one of the things that prove that there is a very bad/big gap between values and commitment and implementation.

Kimberly Dozier:

What is your call to the Arab world faced with an aftermath that still is going on in Gaza, in Lebanon, and the aftermath to come once the fighting against Iran stops?

Tawakkol Karman:

It’s not just the Arab world. I’m calling on Europe. Europe because, in the Arab world we are still suffering under dictators. We are still fighting for our freedom, our democracy. We are trapped between our dictatorship, the dictatorship of Iran, Netanyahu and the dictatorship of Israel and between Trump. We are in a big problem.

So, what is the rule of Europe? I won’t talk about America because America’s in big trouble with Trump administration. It is very important for all of us that Europe reviews its policy to save the global order. Because that is the only way save democracy, peace and security.

What is happening now in order to collapse the global order is riskier than what we are facing in our countries. It is now a global dictatorship that wants to rule the world by force, without rules and standards.

I call on Europe to wake up. Review policy, leave double standards, to lead the new world, a new global order to be based on human rights principles.