Yemen’s body blow

The country’s energy sector faces yet more paralysis as its crisis deepens

In the aftermath of the Houthis' killing of Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's former president, only one thing seems certain: the chances of an early negotiated end to the conflict have faded still further. A lot happened in a short space of time. Saleh decided a few days ago to exploit recent differences with his former allies, the Iran-backed Houthis, and offer an olive branch to Saudi Arabia. Since 2015, a Saudi-led Arab coalition has conducted a war against both the Houthis and Yemeni army units loyal to Sale. This began when the rebels took over the capital, Sanaa, and forced the internationally recognised president, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, to flee. Saleh's recent appeal for Saudi support agai