Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Yemen's Anti-Houthi Factions Share One Enemy, Not Goals
Several groups in Yemen are fighting the Houthis, who control much of the north.
These groups agree that they oppose the Houthis, but they do not agree on Yemen's future.
Some groups want a stronger central government, while southern separatists want an independent south.
The groups have also received support from different foreign countries.
Saudi Arabia is now trying to place them under one command.
The groups do not always trust one another or want to give up control.
Their lack of cooperation helped the Houthis advance along the Red Sea coast.
The fighting has displaced nearly 130,000 people and killed hundreds.
Many people fear the country's civil war could become much worse again.
Anti-Houthi factions are divided by geography, foreign backing and competing visions for Yemen.
The Houthis recently seized Mokha and islands near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Saudi Arabia is attempting to unify the factions under a common command structure.
Rivalries between Saudi- and UAE-backed groups have repeatedly weakened coordination.
Renewed fighting has displaced nearly 130,000 people and risks reviving Yemen's civil war.
- Who
- Yemeni factions aligned with the internationally recognized government and the Iran-backed Houthis, with Saudi Arabia attempting to coordinate the anti-Houthi groups.
- What
- Anti-Houthi factions have lost strategic positions during a renewed Houthi offensive while remaining divided over leadership, alliances and Yemen's future.
- When
- The renewed fighting occurred over a month after a truce had lasted since 2022; the Southern Transitional Council's leadership was dismantled in January.
- Where
- The fighting has involved Yemen's Red Sea coast, Mokha, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Marib, Hadramawt and southern Yemen.
- Why
- The factions oppose the Houthis but have competing political goals, regional loyalties and sources of foreign support.
Factional Autonomy and Southern Independence
Unified Command and Central Government
Military organization
Factional Autonomy and Southern Independence
Some commanders and factions want to preserve their autonomy, revenue sources and existing loyalties, contributing to mistrust and poor coordination.
Unified Command and Central Government
Saudi Arabia is seeking a unified command and funding structure to improve the anti-Houthi coalition's ability to resist the offensive.
Yemen's political future
Factional Autonomy and Southern Independence
Southern separatists support restoring southern Yemen as an independent country, as it was from 1967 to 1990.
Unified Command and Central Government
The internationally recognized government and its forces are organized around maintaining a national government rather than restoring a separate southern state.
Foreign backing
Factional Autonomy and Southern Independence
The factions were shaped by competing Saudi and Emirati support, and some retained loyalties formed during years of separate sponsorship.
Unified Command and Central Government
Saudi Arabia is now the main external patron described in the article and is attempting to consolidate the factions under its leadership.
- Main conflict
- Anti-Houthi factions are fighting the Iran-backed Houthis, who control Yemen's north.
- Recent Houthi gains
- The Houthis took Mokha and islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait during a month of intense fighting.
- Saudi initiative
- Saudi Arabia is trying to bring the factions into a more unified force.
- National Resistance Forces
- The faction has an estimated 30,000 fighters and was long backed by the United Arab Emirates.
- National Shield
- Established in January 2023, it reports to Rashad al-Alimi and includes three divisions with tens of thousands of fighters.
- Humanitarian impact
- Nearly 130,000 people have been newly displaced and hundreds killed in the renewed fighting.
- Civil war toll
- The broader civil war has killed more than 150,000 people and displaced millions.