Yemen has undergone a series of transformative events in recent years, with its youth at the forefront of shaping these defining moments. They played a pivotal role in attempting to forge a new political landscape during the Arab Spring and their efforts to engage in political activism. They formed coalitions within political parties and living blocs, all in pursuit of effecting comprehensive change within the establishment and as opposition forces.

However, the constant political fluctuations and the enduring state of war, which seems to have no end, have left Yemeni youth disheartened and disillusioned, thwarting their aspirations for transformative change. One of the primary reasons for this disillusionment is the absence of a genuine political representation for this active demographic. Instead, traditional leadership within opposition parties and movements in Yemen has dominated the scene, often appearing more organised and intertwined than the various youth-led movements during the period of political change.

Yemen's youth constitute a substantial portion of the population, estimated at approximately 34% or over 30 million people, according to unofficial estimates. While the Yemeni population faces one of the direst humanitarian crises globally, the youth demographic bears an even deeper dimension to this tragedy.

The Yemeni youth, who once harboured dreams of a better future for their nation in 2011, have yet to emerge from the nightmarish grip of a war that has persisted for over eight years. Even more concerning are the projections presented in international reports regarding Yemen's future, outlining the immense cost that will not only be borne by the current generation but also passed down to future generations due to the enduring political uncertainties and the steep toll of the ongoing conflict.

A Crisis Unfolds:

Following the youth-led revolution, Yemeni opposition forces and political parties aimed to break away from the regime of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Regrettably, while they sought a change in leadership, they struggled to break free from the deeply ingrained culture of the previous regime.

As a result, the same form of authority that the youth initially demanded to be overhauled during the early days of the Arab Spring was restructured. The same opposition forces began implementing a management style that allocates positions based on political quotas rather than merit.

This became unmistakably evident in the composition of the authority that emerged after the transitional period in Yemen, particularly in 2013. Representatives from the ruling party (the Congress) and the opposition parties (the Joint Meeting Parties) assumed prominent roles within state institutions and official bodies, consolidating their grip on power.

The situation escalated further following the outbreak of war, precipitated by the Houthi rebels' seizure of the capital, Sanaa, and their forcibly overthrowing state institutions in 2014. This plunged the nation into a dark abyss of internal conflicts and successive crises.

International indicators from the United Nations consistently underscore this dire reality. Yemen's conflict has resulted in the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with the organisation estimating that by the end of 2021, the death toll had reached a staggering 377,000 individuals. Furthermore, the United Nations has reported that over 21.6 million people, equivalent to two-thirds of Yemen's population, urgently need humanitarian assistance. Approximately 4.5 million people, or 14% of the population, have been displaced from their homes.

Numerous Complex Motives at Play:

The myriad of intertwined causes and crises not only thwarted the achievement of the nation's political change aspirations but also cast a shadow over the overarching dreams of its young population, transforming these aspirations into mere idealistic reveries and disconnected slogans far removed from the harsh realities on the ground.

A subset of young individuals, notably those who were exceptionally influential, active, and enthusiastic about ushering in a new political era within the nation, found themselves ensnared in a disheartening cycle of isolation, grappling with a cascade of psychological, social, and economic challenges. These predicaments arose from a confluence of factors, with the most salient ones being as follows:

The Demise of State Institutions and Prolonged Political Discord:

Following the collapse of state institutions across all political and economic strata in 2014, triggered by the Houthi militia's armed takeover and the fall of the capital, Sana'a, Yemen spiralled into an array of armed conflicts involving diverse actors.

This protracted conflict took a heavy toll on the psychological well-being of the youth, impeding their ability to effect the transformative change they had initially aspired to achieve. Many of them succumbed to despair, even erroneously believing they bore responsibility for the country's ongoing crisis and warfare – a notion unjustified given the complex web of actors involved.

The Phase of Faltering Change and Existential Frustration:

The transitional phase marked by faltering change engendered a host of psychological crises for the post-revolution generation. (1) According to some psychologists, this phase can be "existential frustration," a psychological condition arising from a profound shock linked to the broader socio-political landscape and events witnessed by individuals or groups, causing them to lose their emotional equilibrium.

In Yemen, the mental state of its youth closely mirrored this condition. The dashed hopes of the Arab Spring rendered the youth a disillusioned cohort, devoid of confidence in their ability to shape a new future, whether at the personal or societal level.

The Grim Reality of Collapsed State Institutions:

With the complete breakdown of state institutions, Yemeni youth found themselves trapped within a vast circle of futility and helplessness. Their lives appeared void and purposeless, coupled with a pervasive sense of discontentment directed toward themselves, their reality, personal lives, and society, chiefly due to the failure to bring about comprehensive political change.

This collective disillusionment culminated in a profound loss of hope, ushering them into a stage characterised by feelings of emptiness and a dearth of meaning about their past contributions – a sentiment resonating deeply with psychological specialists. This despondency compounded as they grappled with the traumatic aftermath of tragic events, personal sacrifices, loss, incarceration, torture, displacement, exile, and the subsequent collapse of the state following the Houthi insurgency.

Eroding Trust in Political Entities:

A nuanced examination of the psychological aftermath of the post-Arab Spring transformations reveals a telling trend—an erosion of trust in political entities. This decline in confidence emerges from the stark contrast between soaring societal expectations and the inherent limitations of governance systems. During the Arab Spring, these systems failed to satisfy even the most basic needs of their citizens, leading to a deterioration in economic, social, and security conditions. Furthermore, the region witnessed a surge in bloody civil conflicts across various Arab countries and the increasing brutality of terrorist groups. These factors collectively spawned symptoms of psychological instability in several Arab nations, destabilising societal equilibrium and balance. (2)

In parallel, Yemen's youth found themselves trapped in the faltering aftermath of the Arab Spring—a phase marked by dashed hopes and disillusionment. They had been actively engaged in political activism since their formative years, never genuinely carving out a space outside this enclosed sphere, leading to a heavy burden of disappointment and a profound sense of despair.

Mainly disheartening was the stifling of young people's efforts to drive political and social change, as these initiatives faced repression and neglect from a range of actors, including those who had initially championed the calls for change. These setbacks sowed seeds of doubt in the hearts of young Yemenis' previous and current generations, causing them to question their commitment to ongoing political work and their interest in public affairs.

This disillusionment also spills over into the personal lives of these individuals. Those immersed in politics during their youth and adolescence may struggle to balance their personal and political interests, often resulting in the neglect of individual and familial relationships and a persistent inclination towards isolation.

The consequences extend beyond the individual level and seep into society at large. When individuals involved in public affairs harbour frustration and hopelessness, their faith in authority, political forces, and civil institutions diminishes significantly. They withdraw into isolation, and their desire to engage politically and advocate for social issues wanes.

The predicament among Yemeni youth transcends a mere decline in enthusiasm for political engagement or interest in public affairs—it has evolved into a crisis of confidence in the political entities themselves. This crisis deepened further when the political parties that assumed power in Yemen in 2013 failed to address the youth's demands for comprehensive improvements across economic, political, cultural, and scientific domains and to combat rampant unemployment—a stark contrast to the promises made by these very political forces and parties in the pre-revolution era.

Observers note that the youth's crisis of confidence in Yemen's political entities escalated notably, particularly after a majority of these forces consented to the peace and partnership agreement imposed by the Houthi group following the militia's takeover of the capital, Sana'a, in 2014. This development prompted many active youth factions in the political landscape to take to the streets once more, vehemently opposing what the political forces viewed as a concession to the Houthi agenda, which aimed to undermine the state that year.

Squandered Youth Potential:

In the Arab world, the squandering of human potential transcends physical destruction and extends into intellectual, emotional, and creative bankruptcy. This waste takes on various forms, from failing to recognise the latent energies and competencies of the youth to impeding their right to self-determination, free will, self-awareness, and self-existence. In many respects, this waste is even more pernicious than overt social oppression..(3)

This phenomenon can be attributed mainly to the process of polarisation driven by material and organisational influence in Yemen. During and after the Arab Spring, there was fierce competition among all political forces, ideological movements, and others to attract active youth and student groups. This intense competition coincided with the economic and social challenges faced by the youth, chief among them being unemployment and a shortage of opportunities. Consequently, many youths sought quick fixes to their personal and financial problems.

Traditional forces capitalised on this vulnerability, actively courting these youths to become integral participants in the battleground of political conflict within the nation. This led to the dispersion of active youth forces, severing their roots and extinguishing their aspirations to create a new political and social reality.

The ramifications of this waste are twofold: firstly, young people were thrust into futile battles that drained their intellectual energy and deprived them of the ability to provide an objective assessment of the situation. Secondly, it left them unable to grasp the intricacies of the political landscape.

This waste was exemplified by pitting the youth against battles with unclear horizons—a form of waste no less insidious, according to specialists in psychology and sociology, than the recruitment of fighters by violent ideological groups within society. These youths were thrown into open conflict fronts without a clear understanding of the situation and the reasons behind their involvement.

One of the most catastrophic consequences of the ongoing existential waste of young people's energies is the depletion of their capabilities and the steering of their perspectives toward a singular path, preventing them from exerting effective influence in their surroundings. This process also fosters fanaticism, narrow-minded viewpoints, and involvement in inconsequential daily political and intellectual conflicts on social media platforms rather than nurturing their intellectual and scientific capacities and fostering the development of their diverse skills.

In conclusion, the multifaceted political and social problems arising from the armed conflict in Yemen, coupled with the fading hope for change, escalating unemployment, and limited opportunities for rehabilitation and development, have trapped the nation's youth in an ever-expanding cycle of psychological crises since 2011. The continued neglect of young forces by authorities and politically active entities, relegating them to mere political pawns, will inevitably cast a dark shadow over the future.

This toll won't be limited to losing youthful confidence and energy. Still, it will also manifest as a decline in awareness and weaken the youth's ability to research, discern, differentiate, and comprehend the changes around them. Consequently, they become susceptible targets for armed groups, exacerbating the issue of young people being used as fuel in the protracted conflicts waged by extremist ideological factions.

Several proposals can be considered to address this pressing issue, including:

·       Fostering robust communication with young people, involving them in meaningful decision-making processes, and genuinely engaging them in political life—a responsibility that falls on the shoulders of legitimate authorities and various political forces.

·       Combating unemployment by creating job placement and qualification opportunities through legislation that obliges institutions and companies to hire young people. It is also crucial to improve working conditions and equip them with modern technological skills and necessary competencies to secure meaningful positions in state institutions or public and private enterprises.

·       Enhancing the educational system by improving curricula and elevating the quality of education in schools and universities. This will empower skilled youth to address the challenges and demands of the labour market effectively.

·       Providing psychological and social support to young people raises mental health awareness, especially for those grappling with psychological crises resulting from dashed ambitions, escalating armed conflict, and rampant unemployment.

·       Combatting violence and extremism through education and raising awareness among youth about the nation's issues and the perils of joining armed ideological groups and factions.

·       Supporting human rights initiatives and humanitarian efforts in collaboration with international organisations to provide adequate aid and assistance to the numerous Yemeni youths and families adversely affected by the protracted conflict and warfare ravaging the nation for years.

¹ دعاء رجب، الاكتئاب الوجودي وأزمات ما بعد الربيع العربي، مركز أركان للدراسات والابحاث ،2020.

2 د. داليا رشدي، التداعيات النفسية لتحولات ما بعد الثورات العربية، متاح على الرابط التالي:  https://rsgleb.org/article.php?id=706&cid=22&catidval=0

3 د. مصطفى حجازي، الإنسان المهدور، دراسة تحليلية نفسية اجتماعية، المركز الثقافي المغربي، سبتمبر 2007