Yemen Neighbouring Countries and Middle Eastern Map

Yemen’s Neighboring Countries

Yemen, nestled in the Middle East, cozies up with a few neighbors, each adding color to its political dance. Let’s check out Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Eritrea—Yemen’s closest buddies or occasional frenemies.

Saudi Arabia

Sitting to the north, Saudi Arabia shares a tangled history with Yemen. They go way back with historical treaties and modern-day give-and-take. The Taif Agreement from 1934 drew the line in the sand for their northern border and laid down rules for business and shouting across the border. This accord isn’t hanging out in a museum—it got a fresh coat of paint in 1995.

Border Facts:

• Length: About 1,307 kilometers of desert drama
• Key Crossings: Alfaqeh, Sharura

For more lowdown on Saudi Arabia’s pals, check here.

Oman

Oman kicks it to the east side with Yemen, sharing a bond that’s all about peace and cooperation, with a sprinkle of ancient empire vibes. Both ancient lands had their moments under the Persian, Umayyad, and Abbasid lights.

Border Facts:

• Length: Nearly 294 kilometers of smiles
• Key Crossings: Shahin, Mazyuna

Explore more on nearby howdies by visiting our bit on Somalia’s neighbors.

Eritrea

Though there’s no landline between Yemen and Eritrea, the Red Sea throws in a watery buffer. These two have had their splashes over the Hanish Islands, but by ’98, they played nice and sorted things out.

Maritime Facts:

• Distance Across Red Sea: About 25 kilometers of sea views

Peek into more neighborly shenanigans in the UAE region.

Country	Border Type	Border Length (km)	Key Tidbits
Saudi Arabia	Land	1,307	Familiar lines from 1934, updated snug in 1995
Oman	Land	294	All ancient empires and friendly waves
Eritrea	Maritime	25 (across Red Sea)	Solved their sea spat over Hanish Islands

Getting to know these neighbors lets you in on Yemen’s buddy system and the wider bends of its political playground. More on that here.

Yemen’s Regional Relationships

Yemen’s ties with its nearby nations are crucial and play a big role in its political scene, security, and economy. Getting a grasp on these connections helps make sense of Yemen’s spot in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia & Yemen

Saudi Arabia and Yemen are deeply connected, both right next door and politically. They share a long border, and Saudi Arabia has always had a big influence over its neighbor. Their main concerns are about keeping things secure and stable in the region.

Aspect	Saudi Arabia	Yemen
Border Length (km)	~1,307	~1,307
Key Issues	Security, Influence in Yemeni Affairs	Security, Territorial Integrity
Major Actions	Military Intervention, Humanitarian Aid	Defense, Counter-Insurgency

Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has been leading a military coalition in Yemen to support the government against Houthi rebels. This action has heavily influenced the region’s geopolitics.

Oman & Yemen

Yemen’s link with Oman is all about cooperation and respect, different from the rocky relationships with other neighbors. They keep a calm border and steady relations.

Aspect	Oman	Yemen
Border Length (km)	~294	~294
Key Issues	Stability, Cross-Border Trade	Border Security, Economic Cooperation
Major Actions	Diplomatic Mediation, Humanitarian Aid	Joint Security Efforts

Oman often steps in as the peacekeeper, offering paths for diplomatic talks in conflicts. This has kept their relationship steady, focusing on cooperation and humanitarian aid.

United Arab Emirates & Yemen

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a tangled, sometimes rocky relationship with Yemen, much shaped by UAE’s influence in Yemen. They were part of the coalition, leaving in 2020, but still hold sway in the country (CFR).

Aspect	UAE	Yemen
Key Issues	Political Influence, Territorial Control	Sovereignty, National Unity
Major Actions	Military Operations, Support for Secessionist Groups	Counter-Intervention, Unification Efforts

The UAE supporting the Southern Transitional Council and taking over Socotra Island has made things tense. Even after their official leave, they still have a finger on the pulse of Yemen’s political game (Wikipedia). For more insight into neighboring nations, check out united arab emirates neighboring countries.

Grasping these ties helps understand Yemen’s current political struggles and its never-ending hurdles. If you fancy learning about more neighboring countries, give a look at san marino neighboring countries and senegal neighboring countries.

Yemen’s Geopolitical Challenges

Yemen’s Conflict with UAE

Yemen and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aren’t exactly having a tea party over regional politics. It’s more of a cat-and-mouse game, thanks in no small part to the UAE’s meddling on Socotra Island and cozying up to the Southern Transitional Council.

So, the UAE officially hit the road from Yemen in 2020, but it’s sort of like when someone says they’re leaving but still hangs around the lobby, you know? UAE’s footprints linger with their past aggressive nudges along the coast and big-time military gigs. Despite the “see ya later” moment, the UAE still pokes its nose into Yemen’s business.

Feeling curious about what’s cooking around Yemen’s neighborhood? Check out our piece on United Arab Emirates neighboring countries for some background gossip.

Iran’s Role in Yemen

Iran’s got its fingers in Yemen’s pie too, mostly backing the Houthi rebels. This has stirred up one heck of a proxy tussle, splitting as cleanly as a guacamole and salsa platter between Sunni and Shia factions. Word on the street—well, from UN resolutions—is that Iran’s been sneaking weapons and missiles in, adding fuel to an already roaring fire.

Saudi Arabia isn’t amused, and they’ve set up a naval blockade to rain on Iran’s parade, hoping to cut off supplies to the Houthis. But as things stand, it’s all spiraling down the rabbit hole of regional chaos.

Craving more dirt on the neighbors? Swing by our story on Saudi Arabia neighboring countries to see who’s who in the neighborhood drama.

USA’s Involvement in Yemen

Now, let’s chat about the United States getting in on the Yemen action, primarily by playing target practice with airstrikes since 2002. They’ve clocked nearly four hundred strikes, aiming to smoke out al-Qaeda and any Islamic State-tied folks.

Fast forward to February 2021, President Joe Biden gave a thumbs down to US backing of Saudi-led attacks. Still, the US wanders around Yemen, focused on counterterrorism.

Want the full scoop on US’s side of the neighborly relationships and the geopolitical spaghetti? Head to our bit on United States of America neighboring countries.

Grasping these geopolitical jigsaw pieces gives you a better handle on Yemen’s wild web of regional bonds. Such understanding helps unwrap the bigger puzzle of Yemen neighboring countries and their weight in all this geopolitical drama.

Yemen’s Border Issues

Yemen-Saudi Arabia Border

Yemen and Saudi Arabia’s border stretches around 1,307 kilometers (812 miles), carrying big-time weight in the historical, political, and economic dance between these two countries.

Way back in 1934, a handshake deal known as the Taif Agreement drew the northern border lines that have framed trade and relations. It gets a fresh coat of paint every 20 years—the last being in ’95. Fast-forward to the year 2000, and these two neighbors inked the International Border Treaty to wrap up a decades-old boundary bicker. This move helped bring a little harmony into their tunes together Extra Context.

Despite recent conflicts calming down some, the border’s still a hot topic in chats about diplomacy and security. With Saudi Arabia’s coalition aligned with Yemen’s formal government, eyeballs remain fixed on the fence.

Yemen-Oman Border

Yemen and Oman share about 294 kilometers (183 miles) of border to the east. And unlike Yemen’s border drama with Saudi Arabia, this one’s like a peaceful Sunday drive. Trade and travel hum along fairly well without much fuss.

But that doesn’t mean they’re resting on their oars. The broader political winds that blow across the Middle East can stir things up here too, even if the ride’s usually smoother.

Yemen-Eritrea Maritime Border

Out on the Red Sea, Yemen shares sea space with Eritrea. It’s a big deal, especially when you’re talking fishing rights and who owns the Hanish Islands sitting down the southern stretch of the Red Sea.

They’ve done a bit more than just fish fighting here; there’ve been water-bound tussles until an international tribunal in 1998 gave Yemen the keys to the main islands. This helped ease the tension a bit, but the area remains a big talking point for ships and mining sea gold like oil and gas.

Yemen’s Border Distances

Border	Length (km)	Length (miles)
Yemen-Saudi Arabia	1,307	812
Yemen-Oman	294	183
Yemen-Eritrea (Maritime)	Disputed/Varies	Disputed/Varies

Got a hunger for more neighborly tales? Feel free to check out more about Saudi Arabia’s neighborly ties and the Middle East’s political shenanigans.

Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

Right now, Yemen’s getting hit hard by a serious humanitarian jam. Here, we’re diving into the mess of food shortages, sketchy water, and serious health emergencies this country’s wrestling with. Let’s stretch out the picture, talk real numbers, and make sense of this tangled knot.

Food Insecurity in Yemen

Yikes! Over 17 million Yemenis are hustling for their next meal, with a harsh slice of that — about 3.5 million — barely scraping by, suffering from extreme malnutrition. With the chaos of conflict stirring things up, food stops making its way to those who need it, and money’s tighter than ever.

Statistic	Number of People
Food Insecure	17 million
Severely Malnourished	3.5 million

Cast into tough spots, families are making heart-wrenching choices—like pulling kids from school (a whopping 33%) or taking on risky jobs (19%) just to keep afloat.

Lack of Safe Drinking Water

H2-NO! 18 million folks find themselves without good, clean water and reliable sanitation—big time trouble here. This absence invites nasty hangers-on: cholera, diphtheria, measles, and dengue, turning already stressful situations into full-blown nightmares of illness.

Statistic	Lack of Access
Safe Drinking Water	18 million

Fixing this clean water conundrum stands critical, offering a fighting chance against these illnesses and helping ordinary folks live a bit less on-edge.

Health Challenges in Yemen

Yemen’s facing off against gnarly health crises thanks to the continued conflict. About 4.5 million people are out of their homes, and a staggering 60% of the deaths from 2015 till early 2022 came from indirect causes like hunger and zero access to doctors and medicine.

Health Issue	Number of People Affected
Displaced Population	4.5 million
Indirect Deaths Due to Health Issues	60% of deaths

Adding insult to injury, over 21 million folks are in dire need of some help this 2023. And in places under Houthi control, it’s even rougher for the ladies and young girls, who’ve got to jump through all sorts of hoops just to get by, thanks to those pesky “mahram” rules.

Need further scoop on what’s happening next door? Check out our pages on saudi arabia neighboring countries, oman neighboring countries, and united arab emirates neighboring countries.

Yemen’s Security Concerns

Yemen’s like a juggling act, trying to balance various armed groups, civil voices, and behind-the-scenes guardians. These elements really mold the country’s security, though maybe not the way anyone wants.

Armed Groups in Yemen

Armed groups in Yemen aren’t just miles away threats — they live in the same neighborhood. You’ve got the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) doing their ideological tango, the Houthis holding down large chunks of turf, and southern rebels wanting to go solo. Each of these players leaves a mark on daily life, both in theory and in action.

Armed Group	Influence
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)	Strong ideology, swaps services for loyalty (Wilson Center)
Houthis	Big territory, tango with the Saudi coalition (Council on Foreign Relations)
Southern Resistance Groups	Push for local independence, hold sway in the south (Wilson Center)

They’re not just jittering soldiers but community pillars offering basics for allegiance. Their activities add more twists to an already tangled security web.

Civil Society in Yemen

In the mix, civil folks—especially women and youngsters with beefs to air—are stepping up. Civil organizations offer platforms to vent and work alongside security folks to keep the peace in their neck of the woods (Wilson Center).

Benefit of Civil Society	Description
Marginalized Group Advocacy	Voices for the voiceless
Community Collaboration	Teams up with local folks for safety nets
Social Services	Supports essentials where bullets fly

These groups fill the holes left by official forces, often labeled lazy and sneaky. They’re a critical cog in trying to ease the chaos.

Yemen’s Informal Security Providers

Surprisingly, when you’ve got police forces bogged down by inefficiency, who do you call? Tribal bosses, local religious gurus, and local figures step in. These informal guys often have more street cred than the official enforcers (Wilson Center).

Informal Provider	Role
Tribal Leaders	Settle squabbles and keep doors locked at night
Religious Figures	Preach peace and squash beefs
Local Authorities	Dish out services and street guidance

These folks are tied into the social web, having the trust and history with their communities, making them key in keeping chaos at bay.

Cracking the code of armed factions, civil do-gooders, and old-school guards gives anyone a fair shot at understanding the complicated scene in Yemen. Want more about nearby countries? Peek at articles about saudi arabia neighbours, somalia neighbours, and UAE neighbours.