![Independent Study Explores Yemen's Civil War]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1579705050/morristown/fd9pwzthw1vpigoquycr/Yemen1.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1579705050/morristown/fd9pwzthw1vpigoquycr/Yemen1.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1579705050/morristown/fd9pwzthw1vpigoquycr/Yemen1.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1579705050/morristown/fd9pwzthw1vpigoquycr/Yemen1.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1579705050/morristown/fd9pwzthw1vpigoquycr/Yemen1.jpg","width":1440}])
As an Independent Study project this past semester, MBS senior Will Watson ’20 studied the civil war in Yemen. On Tuesday, January 21st, he discussed what he learned about this ongoing conflict and why stability in Yemen is critical to the Middle East and the world.
Watson, who worked with Upper School History teacher Ricky Kamil, explained that the war in Yemen began in 2015 between two factions: the Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi led Yemeni government and the Houthi armed movement, along with their supporters and allies. Both claim to constitute the official government of the country.
Watson said that his interest in Yemen originally centered around the humanitarian crisis. He said that an estimated 22 million people are in need of assistance and protection, and 3.7 million people have been displaced due to the war.
As he continued to examine the conflict, he said that he became interested in studying it as a proxy war between Iran (which supports the Houthi forces) and Saudi Arabia (which aims to restore Hadi to power). Watson said that the Yemeni civil war should matter to the United States for several reasons — it affects the safety and stability of the Middle East; it could affect our safety domestically; and it could affect global trade since the country borders the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic waterway that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
Watson also discussed long-term solutions to the conflict, which revolve around development, defense and diplomacy. “To bring more stability, we need to gradually increase our presence there,” said Watson. “We can’t singularly solve this problem, however. We need assistance from our allies and the United Nations.”
“It was a pleasure working with Will this semester,” said Mr. Kamil. “I was impressed with how he dedicated himself to learning the history of Yemen’s civil war, recent developments in the Arabian Peninsula, and the enormous challenges that the United States faces in this vital and volatile region.”
