A/HRC/45/6 IV. Military, political and humanitarian context (July 2019–June 2020) 14. After six unremitting years of armed conflict in Yemen, the multiparty war continues with no end in sight for the suffering millions caught in its grip. Whether through ongoing air strikes, the crippling blockade, indiscriminate artillery attacks, the impeding of humanitarian relief supplies and access to food and health care, harm from landmines, arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearance, widespread displacement, assaults on civil society and minorities, recruitment and use of children, gender-based violence and endemic impunity, Yemen remains a tortured land, with its people ravaged in ways that should shock the conscience of humanity. 15. It has been reported that, since the beginning of the conflict, approximately 112,000 people have died as a direct result of hostilities, of whom around 12,000 were civilians.6 The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has documented at least 7,825 civilians killed (including at least 2,138 children and 933 women) and 12,416 civilians injured (including 2,898 children and 1,395 women) as a direct result of the armed conflict between March 2015 (when the Office began such tracking) and June 2020. These figures do not include the many thousands of people who have died as a result of the worsening socioeconomic, health and humanitarian conditions. 16. Very limited progress was made in reaching a political solution to the conflict despite efforts led by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen. Further implementation of the Stockholm Agreement remained stalled. Hostilities continued in Aden, Abyan, Shabwah, Bayda’, Ta’izz, Hudaydah and Socotra, and erupted on new fronts in Sa’ada, Hajjah, Sana’a, Jawf, Ma’rib, and Dhale’. 17. Among the main military developments, the second half of 2019 saw the United Arab Emirates withdraw most of its ground troops, leaving a minimal presence in Mukha’, Aden, Balhaf, Mukalla and Socotra. The United Arab Emirates has, however, continued its air operations, and some 90,000 United Arab Emirates-backed Yemeni fighters remain on the ground in Yemen. The Sudan withdrew several thousand troops from the coalition. 18. Tensions in Aden increased in August 2019. By 10 August, Aden had fallen under the control of the southern transitional council. On 22 August, fighting broke out in the city of Ataq, Shabwah Governorate, between Shabwah Elite Forces affiliated with the southern transitional council and the Yemeni armed forces. On 28 August, fighting intensified in Abyan. On 28 and 29 August, the United Arab Emirates launched air strikes in Aden and Zingibar, which it claimed were against “terrorist” groups, while the Government of Yemen claimed the attacks targeted its regular forces. On 25 April 2020, the President of the southern transitional council declared a state of emergency in Aden and the creation of a self-ruled administration in the regions under its control. In May, a significant military confrontation in Zingibar intensified. On 22 June, the two parties agreed to a ceasefire. In Socotra, however, the security situation has remained volatile. By 20 June, southern transitional council-affiliated forces had seized control of Socotra, and the Group of Eminent Experts remains concerned about the fate of this world heritage site. 19. From August 2019 onwards, the Houthis launched military operations in Sa’ada Governorate. At the end of January 2020, Houthi forces captured the Fardhat Nihm area and by the end of February, Hazm, the capital of Jawf, had fallen as well. The Houthis continued their offensive in Jawf, and by April controlled most of Khabb wa ash Sha’af district, which borders Saudi Arabia. The military confrontations on these fronts and in Ma’rib led to other fronts being activated, including in Bayda’. 20. Political developments included the Riyadh Agreement of 5 November 2019 between the Government of Yemen and the southern transitional council calling, inter alia, for the formation of a new government. The agreement was short-lived, however, with the Council withdrawing from it on 25 August 2020. Informal talks between Saudi Arabia and 6 4 Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, “Resources: war in Yemen”, available at https://acleddata.com/2020/03/25/acled-resources-war-in-yemen.