Saada (Arabic: صعدة Ṣa'da) is a governorate located in the north of Yemen on the border with Saudi Arabia. As of February 2004, the province had a population of 695,033 inhabitants, around 3.67% of the total population of Yemen and have an area of 11,375 square kilometers.[1]. It is one of the most inaccessible areas of Yemen and ranks among the poorest in the country. The provincial capital is Sa`dah, the largest city in the province.
Saada is one of the few regions of Yemen inhabited by a large majority of Zaydis, a Muslim religious minority close to Shi'a Islam (from which they separated at the end of the 8th century after a dispute about the identity of the fifth Shi'a Imam). It is currently the center of an insurgency pitting Zaydi rebels against the government.
Contents |
Since June 2004, violent conflict has taken place in Saada, killing hundreds and causing displacement of the population. The conflict has its roots in an insurgency against the government of Yemen which was initiated by a rebel Imam. A ceasefire, brokered in June 2007, was followed by a peace agreement in February 2008. By April 2008, however, the peace process was in jeopardy as each side of the conflict accused the other of failing to implement aspects of the peace agreement. Analysts suggest that renewed conflict will have an impact on the humanitarian situation in the region.[2] In May 2008, it was estimated that there were 77,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Saada as a result of the conflict.[3]
| Asir Province | Najran Province | |||
| Jizan Province | Al Jawf Governorate | |||
| Saada Governorate | ||||
| Hajjah Governorate | 'Amran Governorate |
|
|
|||||||