VOA慢速英語: 也門戰(zhàn)爭：倡導(dǎo)者及其目的何在？

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Have you been following what is happening in Yemen? Are you wondering exacting who is fighting who and forwhat?

Some Yemenis living overseas say they are not surewhat is happening back at home.

This man, a high school teacher, spoke to VOA at aYemeni restaurant in Cairo, Egypt. He says returning toYemen would be dangerous. Yet he adds that notknowing what is happening to his family and his countryis far more difficult.

He says the conflict is mainly between the Houthis andYemen’s internationally-recognized government. But hesays everyone knows the situation is more complexthan that.

On one level, observers say Yemen is seen as a proxywar between Iran and Saudi Arabia. A proxy war iswhen a major power fuels a conflict in which it does notbecome actively involved. Both Iran and Saudi Arabiaare struggling to either keep or change the balance ofpower in the Middle East.

The Iranian government has denied providing military support to the Houthifighters in Yemen. Peter Jenkins is a former British ambassador to theInternational Atomic Energy Agency. He says the Houthis are not exactlyagents of Iran.

“I think it’s wrong to think of the Houthis as proxies for the Iranians. I think it’smore that there is a mutual sympathy that rests in part on the Shi’ite brand ofIslam, but they’re not proxies so they can’t be controlled by Iran.”

Saudi Arabia, however, is openly fighting the Houthis with airstrikes. Anumber of countries are supporting the raids. They include the United ArabEmirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt, Sudan and even theUnited States.

Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, gather during a protest against Saudi-led airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, April 10, 2015. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Activist Summer Nasser says this show of force is meant to hurt the Houthiforces, but it is also hurting the Yemeni people. She spoke to VOA from herhome in southern Yemen.

“Air bombardments by 10 countries are too much for this small, impoverishedsociety. But if Houthis do dialog, I don’t even think Saudi Arabia will take itseriously because Saudi Arabia wants to destroy Houthis as much as theycan before any kind of settlement.”

The Houthis are, and have long been, in firm control of territory in Yemen’snorth, near the Saudi border. Since their offensive began last year, theHouthis have taken the capital, Sana’a, and many of the towns and citiesalong the country’s main road and the road from Sana’a to the port of Aden.

In southern Yemen, the battle lines become more unclear because theHouthis often are not even really Houthis. Ousted President Ali AbdullahSaleh is now allied with the group. While still in power, his government foughtwith the Houthis for six years.

As a result, Yemen’s armed forces is divided in its loyalties, with some fightingfor Mr. Saleh and some fighting for President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Others soldiers are not fighting at all, leaving the Yemeni people andtribesmen to fight off the Houthis’ allies. And the unrest continues.

The Houthis are a militia of Zaidi Shias, a group in power for 1,000 yearsbefore the 1960s. At that time, a republican army seized power in Yemen.Today, the Houthis remain a large minority in the mostly-Sunni Muslimcountry.

The United Nations says nearly 600 people have been killed the sinceairstrikes began, and hundreds have fled the country. As the violencecontinues, Yemeni people are increasingly on neither side. They only want thewar to stop.

I’m Bob Doughty.

This report was based on a story from VOA’s Heather Murdock in Cairo.George Grow wrote it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

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Words in This Story

home – n. the place where one was born or comes from

complex – adj. having many parts that are difficult to understand; not simple

support – n. holding up or in position; agreement with others to help themreach a goal

sympathy – n. sharing feelings or emotions with another person, usuallyfeelings of sadness