Five ways to start fixing Yemen

The world is finally paying attention to Yemen, stirred by its link to the ‘underpants bomber’, renewed sightings of Al-Qaeda in southern Arabia and the Al-Houthi bloodshed. A London donor conference and national dialogue in Sanaa are but two of a number of initiatives to reverse a deteriorating situation. The government has committed to start talks on a new International Monetary Fund programme. International support is building for more action against Al-Qaeda within the country and against piracy offshore; this could mean more special forces on the ground (the United States has already decided that its counter-terrorism specialists will spend more time in Yemen) and beefing up the Yemen Coast Guard and other services. These are among the “five key items” that UK foreign secretary David Miliband said were agreed at the 27 January ‘Yemen Meeting’ in London.