He said the country risked being Somalized unless patriotic Yemenis came together. He blamed Saudi Arabia and some opposition parties for the unrest. The talks were inconclusive as the opposition did not respond to the president's appeals. The government countered by banning demonstrations. The Islah party is trying to exploit the situation by championing the 'case of the people'.
Experts offer three reasons for the restlessness.
It is no secret that Yemen is a poor country. Half of the Yemeni population is under 18 years of age. About a third of the Yemeni population does not have enough to eat, leading to sever malnutrition. Violence erupts, therefore, as a result of economic hardships. Most Yemenis do not trust the politicians who run the country.