Over 10,000 civilians are dead, and 17 million more are in crisis or emergency food situations in Yemen, according to the World Food Program. The banking system has fallen apart, the nominal government remains powerless, and the World Health Organization estimates that 14.8 million people lack access to basic health care.
The Yemeni Civil War is possibly the largest humanitarian crisis in the world right now. However, as air strikes and effective port blockades persist and innocent civilians continue to die, Google search data suggests that relative world-wide interest tilts heavily towards the Syrian Civil War, with little thought given to the Yemeni Civil War. Huge spikes in the former’s search prevalence occurred during instances like the exchange of missile fire between Israel and Syria in March of 2017, but significant developments in the Yemen situation have not generated as much interest based on the Google data.
The lack of coverage on and interest in the Yemeni Civil War can be explained by the international context in which this battle is being fought. Whereas the Syrian conflict can be portrayed as a group of oppressed rebels rising up against a corrupt Assad regime, the Yemeni war cannot be reduced to such a revolutionary dichotomy. Moreover, the reduced prevalence of terrorism in the Yemeni crisis, along with numerous journalistic obstacles, inhibit increased reporting on this subject. While some news sources like the New York Times have increased their coverage of the war in recent months, many observers continue to describe the conflict as a “forgotten war.“
The Ethical Dilemma
The Yemeni Civil War cannot be framed within the context of preexisting models of triumphant rebellions or positive American interventionism. On the ground level, the Yemeni Civil War is a fight between the Hadi Regime, supported by Saudi Arabia, and members of the Houthi movement, supported by Iran. Thus, the war is not painted as an oppressed group of rebels rising up against a corrupt government, but rather, as a fierce, violent insurgency attacking a well-established government, threatening Middle Eastern stability.
Both the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition are guilty of murdering innocent civilians and escalating the point of humanitarian crisis. While the Saudis have essentially blockaded Hodeidah — a crucial port through which people in eastern Yemen receive food and other key resources — the Houthis have fired a ballistic missile that came very close to hitting the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Thus, it is not easy to fully support one side over the other with complete moral certainty.
Compare this situation to Syria, where U.S.-backed rebels are fighting the Iranian- and Russian-backed Assad regime. This story, of the United States supporting underdogs in an unfair battle against a brutal government, is much easier to sell than the one of the United States backing a weak, corrupt government to protect its alliance with Saudi Arabia.
What results from this dichotomy is a pragmatic, tacit avoidance of the issue, both in terms of media coverage and public interest.
The ISIS Factor
One other factor that might contribute to differences in public interest around Yemen and Syria is the greater prominence of ISIS in Syria. While ISIS has been losing significant ground in Syria, the terrorist group still remains a prominent point of discussion within the context of this issue. Although al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is exploiting territorial disputes for its own advantage in Yemen, discussion of its activities in Yemen is a lot less common than that of ISIS in Syria. Google search trends indicate that the public’s interest in the “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” far outstrips their concern for the “Al-Qaeda Insurgency in Yemen.”
Ultimately, the terrorism of the Syrian Civil War has grabbed public attention in a way that the situation in Yemen has not. With the tragedy of September 11 and many recent attacks fresh in the minds of Western audiences, the atrocities in Syria seem to have been more emotionally resonant.
The Saudis and Other Practical Difficulties
Beyond the ethical dilemmas in covering Yemen and the lack of a significant ISIS presence there, other more practical obstacles have prevented reporting on this humanitarian crisis. Namely, Yemen is an extremely hard country to gain access to, especially with recent bombings and an overall increase in violence.
Additionally, the Saudis have impeded journalists’ access to and coverage of unraveling events. Over the course of the summer, the Saudi government blocked several prominent BBC journalists from entering Yemen, despite the fact that they had all the necessary paperwork. Some have even speculated this is due to the United States’ close alliance with Saudi Arabia.
The Humanitarian Factor
Despite all three of these major obstacles, coverage of the Yemeni Civil War has increased over the past few months — potentially due to the increased severity of the humanitarian crisis — which has spurred greater public interest in the issue.
Similar to the effect that the images of ISIS killings had on viewers and consumers, pictures of millions of starving, innocent Yemenis have been emotionally resonant. Thus, publications have been able to turn more towards reporting on this atrocity, avoiding the complicated international context and framing it within a humanitarian context.
The Yemeni Civil War is a prime example of how the inability to present a clear, moralistic narrative on a given conflict deters media coverage. Such nuance obscures public interest and eliminates the possibility of a quick, easy, catch-all headline for readers. Only by reframing the conflict as a humanitarian crisis has the media been able to raise public awareness of the issue.
Image Credit: Voice of America