Mass Gathering of Houthi Supporters on the Third Anniversary of Yemen's Capital Capture

On Thursday, September 21, Houthi rebels in Yemen celebrated the third anniversary of their capture of the capital, Sana'a, with a gathering of several thousand people. According to AFP, the event took place in downtown Sana'a while fighter jets from the Saudi-led coalition flew overhead. The Shia Houthis, supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, seized the Yemeni capital in 2014 alongside forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. This action sparked ongoing conflicts in the country, which have claimed the lives of over 8,500 people and sent nearly 50,000 to hospitals. A few months later, in January 2015, then-President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi fled the capital to Yemen's second-largest city, Aden, declaring it the 'temporary capital.' A year later, Saudi Arabia formed a coalition in support of the ousted Yemeni president and entered the war against the Houthis, which shows no signs of ending. During the anniversary event, the Houthi government leader accused Saudi Arabia and the UAE, members of the coalition, of 'directly occupying' southern Yemen and parts of the eastern regions. Yemen is currently divided: the Houthis and forces loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh control the north, while the Saudi-backed government in the south fights against the Houthis and extremist Islamists, including Al-Qaeda. Sana'a is jointly controlled by the Houthis and Saleh's forces. A week earlier, the Houthi leader had also attacked Saudi Arabia and the UAE. On September 13, the Houthi rebel leader threatened to launch missiles at the UAE and attack Saudi ships in the Red Sea. According to AFP, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, in an interview with the Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV network, stated that the UAE, a key member of the Saudi-led military coalition, 'is now within the range of our missiles.' Currently, over 17 million people in Yemen are struggling with severe food shortages, and the cholera epidemic has claimed over 2,100 lives since April.