The seven-year war in Yemen has not subsided, and it appears to be escalating further in 2022. The recent spike of airstrikes by the Saudi-led Arab coalition and the movements of the armed forces in southern Yemen have killed Yemenis' hopes for peace this year.

The coalition is determined that military force will bring a political resolution. It blames the Houthis for failing all peace initiatives presented since the beginning of the war. On Dec. 26, Turki Al-Malki, the Arab Coalition’s spokesperson, said, “The political solution is the best option for the crisis in Yemen, but the military tool seeks to achieve this goal.”

Malki pointed out that the coalition has several targets, but it has not hit them out of care about civilians. He added, “We avoided attacking many targets in Sanaa because civilians are a priority for the coalition, and the [Houthis] have to remove all weapons from civilian sites. We take the decision when and where to target the Houthi capabilities.”

The aerial bombing is not the sole escalation. Ground fighting has been deadly over the first week of January in Marib, with 200 fighters killed from both sides in 24 hours, medical and military sources said on Jan. 4.