Naseh Shaker
Verified
As seen in:
Al Jazeera English,
Voice of America (VOA),
ReliefWeb,
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed,
Al-Monitor,
TRT World,
Middle East Eye,
Almayadeen English,
Daily Maverick,
Responsible Statecraft
and
Covers:
Covering the humanitarian catastrophe, children under shelling, and military battles.
Freelance multimedia journalist with several int'l media outlets based in Sanaa, the capital city of Yemen. Views are my own. Email me: nasehshaker81@gmail.com
Articles by Naseh Shaker
Can a religious pilgrimage make peace a prospect in Yemen?
SANAA, Yemen — In a move that appears to mark a new phase of diplomacy and a step towards ending nearly a decade of war, a Houthi delegation returned home in the early hours on July 9th after traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj in late June at the Kingdom’s invitation. It was the first Houthi visit in eight years, and came in the wake of the historic Saudi-Iranian deal brokered by China that saw the two countries reopen their embassies.
Yemeni government, Houthis celebrate major prisoner swap
SANA’A, Yemen — They hugged each other at Sana’a Airport. They were cheered in Aden. And at Aden Airport, a hero’s welcome was given to former defense minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi and Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of former President Abed Rabu Mansour Hadi whom they both last saw in Aden more than eight years ago.
What's behind the Houthis' repeated attacks in south Yemen?
SANAA, Yemen — Since the UN-brokered truce expired on October 2, the Houthi rebels have launched drone attacks on civilian oil ports in oil-rich provinces outside their territorial control. The Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for their first drone attack since the truce expired by targeting a Greek oil tanker, the Nissos Kea, as it approached the Ash Shihr oil port in the eastern province of Hadhramout on October 21.
Yemen's largest hospital resumes kidney transplant operations after years of suspension
Abdul-Fattah was lying in one of the kidney center's beds at Al-Thawra hospital on November 1 with a bodyguard beside him after he underwent surgery to have one of his kidneys removed to donate it to his brother who has been suffering from kidney failure for nearly two years. "I donated my kidney to rescue my brother," said the 22-year-old Abdul-Fattah to Al Mayadeen English. "And now, I'm feeling good". "It's a brotherly and humanitarian stance," Abdul-Fattah added.
Death of 10 leukemia-stricken children put the spotlight on US-Saudi blockade on Yemen
Eight out of the nine children who were seriously ill have recovered, according to the Health Minister amid calls for lifting the US-backed Saudi blockade on the entry of drugs including those for cancer patients.
Remembering the deadly funeral hall bombing in Yemen
More than six years ago, Saudi airstrikes using US bombs targeted the Grand Hall in Sanaa on October 8, 2016, killing 140 mourners and injuring over 700 others as they were gathered to pay tribute to former Interior Minister Jalal Al-Rowaishan over his father's death. Al-Rowaishan wasn't at the Hall when the strikes hit. To this day, unresolved trauma remains and survivors of the massacre are still seeking justice and punishment, and not an apology from the US and Saudi Arabia.
Yemen's armed forces give oil companies ultimatum after truce ends without extension
Standing at Marib Corner in Sanaa to direct traffic along with three other traffic police, Hasan Al-Harazi expressed his gratitude for the Government of Yemen (GoY) that refused to expand the truce after the Saudi-led coalition refused to pay him and his other military and security colleagues their salaries. "The last time I received a full salary was in August 2016," Al-Harazi, 50, told Al Mayadeen English.
Yemen needs more than military parades and anniversary parties
SANA’A, YEMEN — Houthi helicopters hovering over the capital on Wednesday morning woke Omar Hanash at 9 a.m. The rebels had declared the day a public holiday so people could celebrate the 8th anniversary of the Houthi take-over of the Sana’a, but Hanash decided to go to the streets in the Sawan area of Sana’a instead to collect bottles and cartons to be used as firewood.
How Yemen's September 21 uprising exposed Western media bias
When Ansar Allah movement decided to support Yemenis angered by the Saudi-backed warlord Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmer for using force against peaceful protesters demanding the overthrow of the Western-backed government over the removal of fuel subsidies, Western media failed to report that the Minister of Interior called on soldiers to consider Ansar Allah as "friends of police," following the defeat of Al-Ahmer in Sanaa on September 21, 2014.
Moroccans, Palestinians provoked by Moroccan chief of staff's visit to “Tel Aviv”
Moroccan army chief of staff Belkhir El Farouk arrived in “Tel Aviv” on September 13 to take part in an international conference held by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) where nine chiefs of staff of other countries will be attending. This is the first visit by an Arab army chief of staff to the Israeli entity. It has provoked Palestinians and Moroccans who are against normalization with “Tel Aviv”.
Return of fuel crisis to Sanaa threatens efforts of extending the truce
Mohammed Ali Saleh parked his car at home on September 5 and decided to tour Sanaa, watching the long line of cars queuing outside petrol stations to fill their cars after the renewed fuel crisis amid the UN-brokered truce that stated the Saudi coalition must allow entry of fuel ships to Hodeidah port.
How Al-Sadr's retirement from political life reflects on Iraq's political spectrum
Following Iraq's powerful cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr's announcement of quitting political life on August 29, his supporters stormed the presidential palace in the Green Zone, which later turned into clashes that rocked Baghdad for two days, killing 30 people and injuring over 700 others, according to Iraqi medical sources on August 30.
UAE-backed militants demolish ancient shrine, dome in oil-rich Shabwa amid UN silence
UAE-backed secessionist militants have reportedly placed improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the shrine of Abdul Rahman bin Omar Badas and the dome of Ibn Abdul Samad in the Radhum District, south of Shabwa Governorate, and flattening them to the ground after taking over the provincial capital, Attaq.
Climate change crisis: Heavy rains damage ancient houses in UNESCO-listed Old City of Sanaa
Due to the rainy cloud that formed over the UNESCO-listed Old City of Sanaa City at noon on August 17, Hamid Ahmed Al-Habbari rushed back to inspect his second home before the rain starts to fall, because he had already lost his first to rain during the last couple of years. "This house gradually collapsed due to heavy rain in the last couple of years," Hamid Al-Habbari told Al Mayadeen English with his wife standing beside him at the common wooden gate of his two houses.
Four years later, parents of 40 school bus children killed in US-supplied bomb await accountability
Younis Al-Qatabri is the only survivor from the Saada school bus attack, but he is still suffering from shrapnel in his head and face after recovering from fractures in one of his legs that made him bedridden at home for the last couple of years. "Younis still has medical appointments [in Sanaa]," Ali Al-Qatabri, father of now 15-year-old Younis, told Al Mayadeen English in a phone call.
'More war crimes to come': Biden exploits extending Yemen's truce to sell missiles to Saudi Arabia, UAE
Minutes after the United Nations announced on August 2, 2022, that Yemen's warring parties agreed to extend the truce for another two months, US President Joe Biden's administration approved the selling of THAAD and Patriot missiles to countries of aggression on Yemen, notably to Saudi Arabia, and UAE in two deals valued up to worth more than $5 billion.
Yemenis laud Nasrallah’s choice to side with them rather than being a 'mediator'
As the Secretary-General of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in an interview for Al Mayadeen on July 25 that "we in Yemen are not mediators... Rather, we are a party alongside the Yemeni people," many residents in Sanaa widely welcomed this remark.
How Yemenis react to Biden backing Saudi extension of truce in Yemen
A Yemeni resident of Sanaa says Saudi Arabia is digging its grave in Yemen, the country known to be a graveyard for invaders seeking to extend the truce not to stop the Saudi aggression. Sitting on a sidewalk in Tahrir Square, Neyaz Abdul-Zamad Issa was having lunch with his 14-year-old son Loay after they escaped Saudi-UAE-occupied Aden 20 days ago to become IDPs in Sanaa under allegations of "spying for Ansar Allah." "The truce is a waste of breath," said Issa.
'I’m not going to meet with MBS': How Americans react to Biden's lie following meeting MBS in Jeddah
US President Joe Biden has faced blistering criticism over his visit to Saudi Arabia because he is the one who promised to make it a "pariah”, and last month, he stressed he is not going to meet with Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS). However, on July 15, Biden’s warm gesture to MBS, as he exited a limousine, drew wider criticism inside the United States before he attended a meeting that the President earlier claimed would not happen. “I’m not going to meet with MBS,” Biden said in June.
Anger in Yemen after Saudi-backed militias demolish 700-year-old mosque in Al-Hudaydah
The militias are not the only ones that demolish mosques; the Saudi-led coalition also launched airstrikes against a number of mosques completely demolishing them. Saudi-backed militias demolished on July 8, 2022, Al-Noor Mosque in Al-Qataba area of Al-Khokha District in Al-Hudaydah Governorate, causing anger among government institutions and non-governmental organizations.
Sanaa locals prepare for Eid Al-Adha overshadowed by lack of liquidity
Abbas Abdul-Malek Al-Dailami usually marks the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha with his family in Al-Humaidi neighborhood in the Old City of Sanaa by sacrificing a lamb, an annual ritual for those who can afford it.
Jambiyas and henna: War does not stop Yemeni preparations for Eid Original
Sanaa, Yemen – Outside Bab al-Yaman, the historic entrance to the Old City of Sanaa, there are no signs of war. Markets are packed with people from inside and outside the capital buying gifts for the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday, such as ceremonial daggers and henna, and sheep to be sacrificed. Eid al-Adha, the most important Muslim religious festival, begins on Friday evening.
The forgotten massacre of Yemeni pilgrims in Tanomah, Sadwan of Saudi Arabia
In 1923, gangs belonging to the founder of Saudi Arabia Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud shot dead over 3,000 Yemeni pilgrims heading toward Mecca to perform the annual Hajj.
'Intolerable stage': Adenis chant anti-Presidential Leadership Council slogans at protest over petrol price hikes
Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of Aden, the seat of the newly Saudi-appointed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), in an overnight protest on 19 June and morning protest on 20 June against the Saudi-backed government's decision to rise the price of petrol by 14% for the second time this month and against the deterioration of basic services.
Should Hezbollah use force to prevent "Israel" from operating in Karish gas field?
The confrontation between Lebanon and the Israeli occupation entity over a maritime border in the Mediterranean Sea intensified after a ship operated by gas exploration company Energean arrived on June 5 to begin drilling in the disputed Karish gas field, pushing Hezbollah to warn the Israeli entity of using force.
Can Congress end US involvement in Yemen's war as WH strives to rekindle relations with Saudi Arabia?
Ahead of US President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia in a push to lower oil prices, a bipartisan group of nearly 50 members of Congress has introduced a legislation on June 1 to invoke the 1973 War Powers Resolution (WPR) to end unauthorized US military involvement in Saudi Arabia’s brutal war in Yemen.
Sanaa residents demand extending the UN-brokered truce
UN-brokered two-month nationwide truce ends on 2 June amid calls on warring parties to extend it. Adel Salem Mehdi was sitting on a sidewalk in front of his house opposite the gate of Sanaa Airport on June 1, an hour before the first commercial flight in six years coming from Cairo landed at Sanaa Airport at 4:00 pm on the last day of the two-month truce. "This truce brings about many benefits to citizens", 42-year-old Mehdi told Al Mayadeen English.
'Tortured to death': Saudi Army kills seven Yemeni migrants trying to cross border amid UN silence
Yemeni migrant Abdullah Hasan Saeed left his village in Al-Hudaydah on May 9 toward the Yemeni crossing-border of Al-Raqo to find a job in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On May 12, his father Hasan received a call from the Republican Hospital in Saada telling him the Saudi Army has tortured and killed his son. “A Saudi bullet in his back killed him,” Hasan, father of Abdullah, told Al Mayadeen English in a phone call.
Anger in Yemen erupts following Saudi execution of a Yemeni
The father of the executed Mohammed Al-Mualmi speaks to Al Mayadeen English about his last call with his son, touching on how the UN and Amnesty International should pressure Saudis to release his body. Mohammed Abdelbaset Al-Mualmi's parents and five siblings have been waiting for his return since 2016, the year he left Yemen to find a job in Saudi Arabia. On Saturday, the Kingdom announced his execution along with two Saudi dissidents under alleged charges of "terrorism".
Could the two-month truce open the door to ending the Saudi war on Yemen?
Yemeni warring parties agreed to a two-month humanitarian and military truce brokered by the UN that took effect April 2, raising questions about whether the cease-fire can end the Saudi war against Yemen. The cease-fire continues despite tens of daily military violations by Saudi-backed forces and the coalition's ongoing refusal to reopen Sanaa airport and lift restrictions on the port of Hodeidah under the terms of the truce.
Johnson’s Saudi WhatsApps to stay secret
Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto Saudi ruler, is often said to communicate with Boris Johnson via WhatsApp – a claim not denied by Downing Street. Prince Salman is thought to be an avid user of its emoji function to adorn his messages. But whatever the pair say to each other on the platform will remain private.
Yemen's fragile truce enters its second month on Eid Al-Fitr
Yemenis and Ansar Allah representatives celebrating Eid Al-Fitr react to the Saudi coalition's violations of the two-month UN-brokered cease-fire, now entering the second month. Wael Jubarah had a great time spending the morning at Al-Thawra Park near Sanaa Airport on May 4. He was celebrating Eid like thousands of Yemenis who had gathered in the park to participate in the electric games and enjoy the picturesque view of the lush garden.
‘Prelude to strike Israel’: Yemenis commemorate Al-Quds Day in one million man marches
Tens of thousands take to the streets to commemorate International Quds Day, the largest marches in the Middle East. Hundreds of thousands of Yemeni have rallied on Friday in 57 squares in 12 provinces, including the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. “We are here for several reasons. First, in response to Allah’s call to be brothers who support one another morally like this rally,” Abdullah Edrees, 33, told Al Mayadeen English. Edrees is from Al-Baydha province but lives in the capital Sanaa.
Remembering President Saleh Al-Sammad, 4 years after his assassination by US-backed Saudi airstrike
On the 4th anniversary of his assassination, Al Mayadeen English interviews the secretary of President Saleh Al-Sammad about several topics including his memories with Al-Sammad.
Ramadan in Yemen: Humanitarian initiatives to support poor people in Sanaa
Loaf of Bread Initiative was launched in Yemen under the slogan of the Quranic verse "giving food in a day of hunger,” targeting 160,000 families per day. Ramadan in Yemen: Humanitarian initiatives to support poor people in Sanaa Kneeling at a gate of a shop used for distributing food packages for families of martyrs, Saleh Al-Zoudi, leader of Al-Dhari neighborhood of Sawan in Sanaa city, started on April 12 to distribute plastic bags of bread for poor people just an hour before Iftar at 6:26 pm.
'If you return to fight, we shall return to our punishment': Yemenis react to UN-brokered truce
Under the truce deal, Sanaa airport should open for limited commercial flights and Hodeidah seaport for fuel ships. 'If you return to fight, we shall return to our punishment': Yemenis react to UN-brokered truce Mohammed Saleh Al-Sawdi was sitting under a tree inside the garden of Al-Thawarah Hospital in Sanaa at 2:37 pm on April 3rd, 19 hours after the UN-brokered two-month truce went into force at 7 pm (16:00 GMT) on April 2nd.
Will Saudi Arabia accept Ansar Allah's truce, or will it gamble?
Saudi coalition has circumvented the Ansar Allah truce by declaring on Tuesday the cessation of military operations in Yemen in response to Gulf Cooperation Council's request, not the Ansar Allah peace initiative. Will Saudi Arabia accept Ansar Allah's truce or will it gamble?
Yemenis, Arabs come together as nation marking 7 years since Saudi assault started
Yemenis and some citizens of Arab States living in Yemen have gathered in a Square near the Old City of Sanaa to commemorate the seventh year since the Saudi assault launched in March 2015.
'We lost everything': Survivors of the Saudi led-coalition strikes remember the first day of bombing, seven years ago
Survivors and relatives of martyrs speak about the first airstrikes of the Saudi-led coalition on the seventh anniversary of the Saudi war on Yemen on March 26, which is marked as the day of resistance.
Tampering in Socotra: Anger in Yemen following UAE advisor close to MBZ visit to the island
A source on the island of Socotra told Al Mayadeen English there is an increase of foreign tourists to the island the last four months whom turn to be Israeli experts rather than tourists Tampering in Socotra: Anger in Yemen following UAE advisor close to MBZ visit to the island A visit by Mohammed Bin Zayed's (MBZ) advisor Abdul-Khaleq Abdullah to the Yemeni Socotra island on March 8 has triggered anger amongst Yemenis from all walks of life, especially after tweeting that he allegedly spoke...
Houthis or Ansar Allah: Why Western media including Washington Post fails to double-check names
Some top Western news outlets claim they are independent financially and editorially from their governments and their reporters abide by the Journalism Code of Ethics. But, is it really the case? Houthis or Ansar Allah?
Why West brings up the old Afghan scenario to confront Russia in Ukraine
A group of 10 special operations forces veterans is staging in Poland and preparing to cross into Ukraine. "Assisting guerrillas to maim and kill Russian soldiers might well create an irreparable breach between Russia and the West" In February 1989, the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan where the US-backed ‘Islamists’ were confronting the Soviet Union between 1979-89.
Qatar releases Yemeni activist Saleh Al-Jermozi before World Cup kicks off
Qatar, a former member of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, released Al-Jermozi before the World Cup kicks off with monitors saying his arrest was going to affect Qatar politically and militarily just as is the case with KSA and UAE. SANA'A, Yemen (Al-Mayadeen English) — Following his appearance on Al Mayadeen TV on January 21, Yemeni activist Saleh Al-Jermozi disappeared on Jan 22.
'Collective punishment': Saudi coalition target telecoms compound that provides service even to areas it occupies south Yemen
Senior TeleYemen official denies to Al-Mayadeen English that the Saudi-led coalition made a call to vacate premises before launching the airstrikes.
Is the US serious about protecting Saudi-led coalition Member States from Yemeni attacks?
The latest military escalation hangs question marks over how the US is serious about ending the war in Yemen. Is the US serious about protecting Saudi-led coalition Member States from Yemeni attacks? While officials from Ansar Allah National Negotiation Delegation said they have discussed on Feb. 9 the humanitarian situation in Yemen during a meeting with the European officials in Oman, the American side, along with the Saudi and Emirati side, preceded the meeting with a military escalation on Feb.
5 killed by stray bullets from soccer celebration in war-ravaged Yemen Original
SANAA, Yemen — Fireworks and gunfire celebrating a football victory killed five people Dec. 13 in the capital Sanaa and several Houthi-held governorates. Yemen’s junior football team beat Saudi Arabia in the U-16 West Asian Cup and won the title for the first time in its history in a 4-3 penalty shootout win.
Houthis under fire for arresting wedding singer in Yemeni capital
SANAA, Yemen — Yemen's Houthi rebels faced a barrage of criticism following their arrest of singer Aseel Abu Bakr during an overnight wedding party in Sanaa on Aug. 31, drawing strong statements of solidarity on social media from singers, journalists and human rights activists.
Yemen's new school year kicks off as 6 million children at risk
SANAA, Yemen — Due to the lack of teachers and regular classes in his rural school in the Otomah district of Dhamar governorate, Mohammed Qaid decided in 2019 to disrupt his education and travel nearly 100 miles to work in the capital, Sanaa. Since then, the 16-year-old Yemeni has been selling blankets on the sidewalk at al-Hasaba flea market. “I quit school in the sixth grade to work as a blanket seller,” Qaid told Al-Monitor. “Most of the teaching staff were [often] absent.
Yemen's Houthis hope Afghan turmoil will speed up agreement to end war
SANAA, Yemen — Following the Taliban takeover of Kabul on Aug.15, senior officials from the rebel Houthi group, which has been fighting the Saudi-led coalition-backed government in Yemen since 2015, were swift to react to the Taliban's rapid advance against the Afghan government amid an imminent US-led coalition withdrawal. Abdul-Malek al-Ejri, a member of the Houthi negotiating delegation, reminded the Saudi-led coalition of the US fate in Afghanistan.
Yemen's Houthis blow up homes after losing control in Al-Bayda, Marib
Following the Yemeni government's military advance against Houthi rebels in Al-Zaher district in Al-Bayda province and the Rahabah district in Marib province in early July, the Iran-backed group launched counteroffensives to recapture the two districts. After recapturing Al-Zaher and some areas of Rahabah, Houthis resorted to using their old tactic of blowing up homes of opponents in these districts.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Naseh
Contact Naseh, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack