The most prominent of stories to stream out of Yemen this week was the devastating killing of 14 schoolchildren in the capital on Sunday, following what is thought to be Saudi-led coalition air raids on a residential neighbourhood that struck near a school in the capital. A mass funeral was held for the young victims of the attack on Wednesday, which saw crowds of men spill into the streets of the capital carrying coffins draped with Yemeni flags. Though the death of the scho

Possibly the most important and daunting of news to seep out of Yemen this week – though it fails to apply as a shock – is the recruitment of child soldiers by the Saudi-led coalition fighting on the frontlines against the Houthi rebels. According to an Al Jazeera exclusive, the coalition, which fights alongside, and for government forces, takes on children from among poor families in Taiz and government-held areas in the south before sending them over the Saudi border where

For many, Ella al-Shamahi is an unfamiliar name, but the 34-year-old British Arab of Yemeni descent has just landed her own television series on BBC and is on a mission to redefine all we know about our ancestors. The paleoanthropologist, who by her own account studies "really, really old humans," is now the proud presenter and producer of BBC2's Neanderthals: Meet Your Ancestors, a show that travels the world to help redefine, rebrand and reintroduce the archaic humans who l

After thirty years of dancing on the heads of snakes, one was bound to bite Yemen’s former President Ali Abdullah Saleh back. On this historic day for Yemen, the former heavyweight leader was killed on his own turf by his former allies, turned enemies, turned allies, and fatally turned enemies once again, the country’s Houthis rebels. News of the killing has once again divided public opinion between celebrating the death of a dictator and mourning that of a politician that ma

More than 17 days have passed since a popular Yemeni political analyst was abducted by Houthi rebels outside his home, and little is known on his fate. Hisham al-Omeisy, a father of two, has gained widespread popularity over the years for his unbiased reporting and commentating on the war-torn country. The 38-year-old was a vocal critic of all parties involved in the Yemen's civil war, which has left over 10,000 dead. It has given him credibility across international media, w

War, famine, poverty and al-Qaeda are just some of the keywords that tend to pop up when discussing the "Middle East's poorest nation" – Yemen. However, the truth is, Yemen boasts a rich history, culture and has contributed vastly to the world. Here are some interesting facts you should know about one of the hidden and forgotten jewels of Arabia: 1. The southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, now known as Yemen, was previously known to geographers as Arabia Felix; a Latin nam

Al-Diyafa @ 35 Walker St, Sheffield, S3 8GZ. Three course meal for three with tea £19. "What do you want to eat today?" a Yemeni mother asks her British daughter. "And please don’t say fish and chips," she adds, with a generous hint of sarcasm in her voice. "You know what mama, I do want fish today... But Yemeni style." And those were the words that triggered a three-hour road trip to what is known as Britain’s very own 'Little-Yemen,' in the green valleys of South Yorkshire.

Thousands of protesters gathered in the southern coastal city of Aden last week, declaring a renewed leadership within the southern secessionist ranks, after a controversial presidential order dismissed the popular governor of Aden. Demonstrators flooded the streets of Yemen's temporary capital in the days after President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi dismissed Major General Aidarous al-Zubaidi from his post as Aden's municipal leader, sparking anger among the pro-secessionist offic

In September 2014, Yemen’s Houthi rebels allied with the country’s former leader in an attempt to take on the new transitional government of Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Finally equipped with Saleh’s arsenal of deadly weapons, the tribal militia marched into the capital, capturing state buildings and institutions and sending the government fleeing to the southern coastal city of Aden. Unwilling to witness its neighbour fall into chaos and jeopardise its own security just a few mil

More than 16,000 people have been abducted by Houthi rebels since the group seized control of the Yemeni capital in 2014, a new report suggests, with thousands still missing as the war surpasses its second year. Civilians, activists, academics and politicians remain under Houthi arrest in undisclosed locations around the war-torn country, according to the newly-published Rights Radar report entitled Yemen: Victims Behind Bars. “The amount of people abducted and detained by th

Disturbing images showing severely malnourished children in Yemen have surfaced online, putting a horrific face to the war-torn nation where more than half of the population live under the global poverty line. Laying dazed and frail on a bed is six-year-old Salim Musabih whose frail image was captured by a Reuter's photographer in Yemen's Hodeida city, where Houthi rebels remain defiantly in control of the country's second largest port. In another image, the toddler sits amon

The United Nations called for the creation of an independent international body to investigate a series of serious violations committed by all warring factions involved in the Yemen conflict, as diplomats from the United States and the Gulf attempted to resolve the 17-month deadly war. A new report published on Thursday outlined a long list of grave human rights abuses by both the Saudi-led coalition and Houthi rebels, in a conflict that has left more than 6,000 dead. "Civili

Yemen's conflict has cost its economy more than $14 billion so far, according to a new report, as the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels continues to pick up steam post-peace talks. The war, which began when Saudi Arabia formed a coalition to battle rebels following their September 2014 coup, has caused extreme damage to the country’s infrastructure, the joint World Bank, United Nations, Islamic Development Bank and European Union report said. "The conflict has so far

The United Arab Emirates has provided Yemen with more than £900 million in aid in the past 16 months, as coalition airstrikes continue to pound the war-torn country. More than 160,000 tonnes of food and some 111,000 tonnes of medical supplies were among the supplies sent, officials said on Wednesday, as well as nearly £600 million in development funding. Five power stations were built, including two in the southern coastal Aden city where residents suffer from a lack of elect

When airstrikes began pounding Yemeni soil, few expected them to continue for more than 13 months – and counting. "I never imagined it would last for this long," Riyam Ali said, a 22-year-old British Yemeni who has lived in Aden all her life. Riyam was in the comfort of her home when she heard the first sounds of war. Gunshot rounds, young men chanting, cars swerving and finally, a bomb that destroyed the building next door. A deafening silence followed as the factory w

"I ask all the parties and the international community to remain steadfast in support of this cessation of hostilities to be a first in Yemen's return to peace... Yemen cannot afford the loss of more lives." These are the words of United Nations special envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed as he announced a much-needed ceasefire thirteen months after a war erupted in the conflict-ridden state. Not only can Yemen not afford to lose more lives, it quite literally cannot a

The circular-shaped city is surrounded by water, a land engulfed by the Arabian Gulf. The nature of this landscape means heavy sounds of gunshots echo from one side of the city to the other; like dry thunder, it sends shockwaves through the body. In the distance, a young man is running barefoot, chasing another as he grasps a camera in his hand. He follows him swiftly as the boy pounces from wall to wall like an Arabian tiger against the backdrop of a destroyed city. The came