King Of War: Starting with Arms Dealer

An important city in western Yemen, Taizz...

People woke up to find a slight change in the situation...

The Houthi armed forces, who had been locked in a fierce battle with the government forces, suddenly withdrew from the Taizz area, relinquishing the territory they were on the brink of capturing.

The war for Taizz between the two sides had lasted for almost half a year, with the Houthis and the Gulf Coalition each leaving thousands of bodies behind. And now, suddenly, the fighting has stopped, leaving chaos for the local populace...

Taizz is a peculiar city, much like those small taverns in movies from various cultures and times, where all forces gather.

The Houthis, Hadi government forces, the Southern Transitional Council, Al-Qaeda, and various militias and criminals all vie for a piece here.

The situation in Yemen is too chaotic for most people to comprehend...

Generally speaking, it's a battle for control between the Houthis and the Yemeni government forces. In reality, there are dozens of warlord factions funded by the Shah and the UAE, along with terrorist organizations stirring the pot.

The Houthis have occupied the northern highlands, including the former capital, Sanaa, and the Red Sea coast, yet the area is not entirely homogeneous.

The most crucial port, Al Hudaydah, is under Houthi control, but most of the rural areas along the Red Sea coast are controlled by national resistance forces.

These include four or five groups, mostly Houthi-opposing militias funded by the UAE.

The government forces are even more bizarre; they are essentially a coalition of warlords outside of the Houthis and terrorist organizations.

The Hadi government and the Southern Transitional Council are enemies...

The crucial oil-producing regions of Mareb and Al-Jawf are controlled by local XN tribes.

The Houthis usually decimate government forces, but they have suffered significant losses against local tribes. They have been unable to capture key resource points, which has left them financially strained.

The YSL Reform Party is also a tough nut; their tribes live under Houthi control, yet they go to war at the slightest disagreement.

In the east, Mahra and the island of Socotra are also divided. The Shah has established a military presence in Mahra, much to the annoyance of neighboring Oman.

The UAE outright wants to annex Socotra to establish a naval base, creating military influence from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden, ensuring the interests of its core Middle Eastern trade nations.

Given such circumstances, where can things possibly improve?

The United Nations has described the Yemen war as 'the world's worst humanitarian crisis site,' with 27 million Yemenis, 20 million of whom rely on international aid to survive.

Due to hostilities between the Houthis and the Shah, aid can only land through the Houthi-controlled port of Al Hudaydah.

Since the Houthi-controlled northern highlands hit about 60% of Yemen's population, landing aid in government-controlled Aden means it wouldn't reach Houthi territories, where the humanitarian crisis is also dire.

Unable to capture oil-producing areas, the Houthis are impoverished and use international aid as leverage, punishing or rewarding factions within their territory to increase control.

Now, Boss Qiao has taken control of Mukalla port and has humanitarian aid sources at hand, so the UN naturally handed over aid funds to Boss Qiao...

In all fairness, the UN, aside from being powerless against major powers, is doing some things.

In crisis regions worldwide, as long as they weren't caused by the big guys, the UN can still exercise some authority to provide aid.

Boss Qiao's security zone was established in this context!

The UN workers never expected that barely a week after money was transferred to Boss Qiao, the Houthis declared a ceasefire...

They don't know how Boss Qiao managed it, but it happened!

This led many to realize just how crucial a non-aligned, borderless military organization is to the UN!

The United Nations Secretary-General has spoken until his mouth was dry, yet Yemen is still not at peace, nor has he convinced the five major powers to intervene.

However, P.B. has entered Yemen for just over two months, and the situation here has started to change!

Aljin, the representative from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs under the United Nations Secretariat, is Finnish. At 55, he has worked with the UN for 15 years. Since the Yemen civil war reignited in 2014, he has been issuing warnings to the UN.

For the past two years, Aljin has stayed long-term in Al Hudaydah, trying to oversee the distribution of humanitarian aid by the Houthis, but no matter how much he protests, the Houthis completely ignore him.

Now, Aljin, accompanied by three assistants and six UN-appointed expert observers, was traveling by vehicle to Taizz...

The bumpy journey left Aljin very tired until the local young man driving stepped hard on the brakes, exclaiming loudly, which awakened Aljin...

The vehicle Aljin and his team were in was a Coaster. When it came to a sudden stop, everyone was jolted awake.

A young man with a camera rushed to the front of the vehicle, squatted beside the driver's cabin, and aimed his camera towards not far ahead...

On a dilapidated highway, a massive convoy stretching nearly 5 kilometers was slowly making its way toward Taizz, escorted by an armored convoy...