In late 2014, as the Houthis captured the Yemeni capital of Sana’a, civil war erupted and forced the president and his government into exile. In March 2015, in hopes of preventing Houthi expansion and restoring the internationally recognized government, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia organised a large-scale military intervention and thus escalated the conflict. As they intervene on one side, Iran helps the other, adding a regional dimension to this ever-expanding situation. International involvement exacerbated the conflict and greatly contributed to the humanitarian crisis. As of the beginning of 2024, as many as 18 million people, near half of Yemen's population, required daily humanitarian aid. The United Nations deemed the event as one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world. Both international humanitarian law, and human rights law, have been violated since the beginning of the conflict, including attacks on civilians, civilian objects, prevention of access to humanitarian aid and other atrocities.
This master's thesis deals with violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law in the ongoing conflict in Yemen. Additionally, it provides a historical context of the conflict, its outline, and an overview of key actors. Finally, it compiles a review of potential mechanisms and legal avenues to enforce responsibility for the identified violations.
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