A Saudi-led multinational coalition intervened in the Yemen conflict in March 2015
The Arab Spring uprising forced its longtime authoritarian president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to hand over power to his deputy Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, in 2011. However, there was no meaningful political transition which ought to have ushered in some stability.
A weak president Hadi struggled to deal with the problems that arose as a result. The problems included attacks by al-Qaeda, a separatist movement in the south, as well as corruption, unemployment and food insecurity.
Ali Abdullah Saleh (R) was forced to hand over power to Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi (L)
The Houthi movement, a Shia Muslim minority group which had rebelled against Mr Saleh during the previous decade, took advantage of the new president's weakness. They took control of their northern heartland of Saada province and neighbouring areas.
Disillusioned with the transition, many ordinary Yemenis - including Sunnis - supported the Houthis and in late 2014 and early 2015, the rebels took over Sanaa.
The president escaped to the southern port city of Aden the following month.
Shocked and alarmed by the ascendancy of a group they believed to be backed militarily by regional Shia power Iran, Saudi Arabia and eight other mostly Sunni Arab states started an air campaign aimed at restoring Mr Hadi's government. Not surprisingly, the coalition received logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France.
A weak president Hadi struggled to deal with the problems that arose as a result. The problems included attacks by al-Qaeda, a separatist movement in the south, as well as corruption, unemployment and food insecurity.
Ali Abdullah Saleh (R) was forced to hand over power to Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi (L)
The Houthi movement, a Shia Muslim minority group which had rebelled against Mr Saleh during the previous decade, took advantage of the new president's weakness. They took control of their northern heartland of Saada province and neighbouring areas.
Disillusioned with the transition, many ordinary Yemenis - including Sunnis - supported the Houthis and in late 2014 and early 2015, the rebels took over Sanaa.
The president escaped to the southern port city of Aden the following month.
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