The democratic promise of the 2011 Arab Spring unraveled in Yemen, triggering a disastrous crisis of civil war, famine, militarization, and governmental collapse with serious implications for the future of the region. Made worse by Arab and Western intervention, the civil war has quickly escalated, resulting in thousands killed and millions close to starvation. Suffering from a collapsed economy, the people of Yemen face a desperate choice between the Huthi rebels allied with ex-president Saleh on the one side and the internationally recognized government propped up by the Saudi-led coalition and Western arms on the other. In this invaluable analysis, Helen Lackner uncovers the roots of the social and political conflicts that threaten the very survival of the state and its people. A new preface explores the United States' central role in the crisis.

How the 2011 uprising and the transition led to war -- Yemen and the world -- The two Yemeni republics and unification -- Islamism : reality and myth -- The Huthi movement : from nowhere to centre stage -- Southern separatism in perspective -- From tribes to elites -- Resources scarcity and their capture : Matters of life and death -- The economy -- The rural-urban nexus -- Conclusion : whither Yemen?.