Yemeni expats worry about conflict at home

Yemenis living in Saudi Arabia are worried about the conflict back home as the Houthi rebels continue to maintain control of the capital Sanaa.
Reports reveal that there has been a rise in casualties on both sides and widespread malnutrition among children.
Many expatriates said they do not want their country to end up in chaos with no economic growth. Some welcomed the appointment of Yemen’s UN envoy, Khaled Bahah, as the new prime minister and hoped that he would help restore law and order.
This month, the Shiite Houthi rebels made sweeping military gains in the city, capturing government offices and military installations.
“We are not only worried about but also scared by this new development,” said Abu Adel, a Yemeni. The expatriate, who hails from Al-Baidah in the central region, told Arab News on Thursday that the Houthis are now targeting Sunni-dominated areas.
“It is a very complicated and dangerous situation now,” Abu Adel said. “Those people are taking revenge against us.” He argued that the Houthis would not have been able to take control of the capital without help from foreign and local forces. He accused former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his party of playing some role in the affair. “What happened on Sept. 21 confirms Saleh’s involvement in that incident,” he said.
Another Yemeni, who did not want to be named, said he was a Zaidi follower and was more comfortable aligning himself with the Houthis. He slammed the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda for their “barbaric practices.”