Saudi Arabia Announces End of Airstrikes on Yemen · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

‘Breaking – Coalition's SP: “End of OpDecisiveStorm doesn't mean ceasefire” ..what did I just tell ya! #Yemen ,” tweets @omeisy
Saudi Arabia announced today that it is ending its airstrikes on Yemen after “achieving its military goals.”
This comes after 944 people have been killed and 3,487 injured in fighting in Yemen since Saudi Arabia launched a military campaign against the country on March 26. Backed by its Gulf Arab allies, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan and Saudi Arabia started an airstrike operation, dubbed Decisive Storm, against Houthi fighters who took control of Yemen in January.
Although Operation Decisive Storm airstrikes were intended to bomb military facilities and weapon depots to quell the Houthi rebels supported by ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, the strikes have resulted in a lot of death, displacement and destruction across the country. Despite the massive number of strikes over the past month, the Houthi/Saleh brutal aggression has spread to the south and intensified, particularly in Aden, killing many civilians and destroying residential neighbourhoods as well.
Saudi Arabia announced it was now leading Operation Restoring Hope, which aimed at finding a political solution in the country it had just bombed.
Yemeni Nasser Maweri is not mincing his words when it came to his initial reaction to the news:
So wait a min! Coalition only destroyd #Yemen‘s millitary forces = prevent houthis from harming KSA! How is that war “TO SAVE YEMEN”?
— Nasser Maweri (@NasserMaweri) April 21, 2015
PT : So this war was only to save Saudi's ass from Houthi threat! There was nothing abt it for Yemen! U killed Yemenis to save urselvs only
— Nasser Maweri (@NasserMaweri) April 21, 2015
And Yemeni blogger Noon Arabia says the change of the operation's name is just a marketing gimmick:
الحرب في #اليمن يجري تغيير اسمها التسويقي من #عاصفة_الحزم الى #اعادة_الامل ، “لكن هذا لا يعني انه سوف يعلن وقفا لإطلاق النار”
— نون عربية (@NoonArabia) April 21, 2015
The war on Yemen is getting rebranded from Operation Decisive Storm to Operation Restoring Hope. This doesn't mean there will be a ceasefire
In another tweet, she shares the death toll from the war so far:
Enough war in #Yemen because every life matters. #KefayaWar #AdenBleeding https://t.co/hBtQ9jRDIT
— نون عربية (@NoonArabia) April 21, 2015
Journalist Adam Baron, who covers Yemen and has lived there from 2011 to 2014, says it is too early to say what tomorrow brings. He tweets:
In my opinion, its far too early to say that this is the end of the war in #Yemen. Time will tell how things unfold.
— Adam Baron (@adammbaron) April 21, 2015
And he explains:
Rather than the end of war, a very strong possibility (likelihood?) today's announcement only signals a new phase–and a new form. #yemen
— Adam Baron (@adammbaron) April 21, 2015
Palestinian Lina Alsaafin tweets:
Saudi announced end of military op on #Yemen. Comforting to know they havent achieved any of their goals but left hundreds civilians dead.
— لينة (@LinahAlsaafin) April 21, 2015
From Bahrain, Abu Omar Al Shafee notes:
#عاصفة_الحزم بدأت فجأة وانتهت فجأة ..
— أبوعمر- الشافعي (@ALSHAF3EE) April 21, 2015
Operation Decisive Storm: It started suddenly and ended suddenly
This situation shouldn't confuse anyone, says Ammar Al-Aulaqi:
Those who started following Yemen lately &feel very confused; chill,I'm from there & I've been living this drama my whole life.Still as lost
— Ammar Al-Aulaqi (@ammar82) April 21, 2015
However, Yemeni netizens are still tweeting about hearing airstrikes in the skies of the capital Sana'a.
Journalist Baron tweets:
Well, reports of airstrikes over Sanaa at this very moment…50 minutes from the official end of Decisive Storm…
— Adam Baron (@adammbaron) April 21, 2015
Mazen Al-Hebshi says:
Antiaircraft guns began firing now in #Sanaa #Yemen #OpRestorationofHope
— Mazen Al-Hebshi (@MazenAlHebshi) April 21, 2015
And Mohammed Al-Assadi adds:
Big booms & intensive air defence selling and fire now in western parts of #Sanaa. One more hour to go for the new phase? #Yemen #Peace
— Mohammed Al-Asaadi (@alasaadim) April 21, 2015
Will this change in the operation's name bring hope to Yemenis?
Also Read:
Electricity, Food and Fuel Shortages Increase Suffering of Yemenis as Saudi-Coalition Bombs Continue to Fall
‘We Walk Around Death,’ Tweets a Yemeni Blogger About the Horrors of War