The Surge in the Formation of New Cities

Most Yemenis are waiting for a comprehensive and lasting peace with sustainable prospects, yet few in this ancient country quietly reflect on the natural causes and factors that have made Yemen a land of recurring conflicts. The dichotomy of war and peace in Yemen is not an incidental occurrence interrupting the history of a stable country; rather, it is a theme deeply intertwined with Yemen's history, accompanying it through the ages. The initial review of Yemen’s conflict stages leads us to an alarming conclusion: Yemen scarcely exits one conflict before slipping into another after a brief respite. Yemenis may share similar features and personal traits, and they endure the same suffering, but the terrain they live on is not uniform; the mountains differ, as do the deserts and plains. Yet, certain inevitable developments occur despite the scenes of misery. The population density is mainly concentrated on mountaintops or along valleys and plains, such as in Hadhramaut in the east or Tihama in the west. There has been a significant increase in migration from the mountains to new urban centers and rapidly expanding plains cities.

Yemen's mountains have historically offered limited agricultural production, with the environment varying from one mountain to another. Some highlands have expansive basins, such as Saḥul Basin, Jahran Basin, Sana'a Basin, Al-Bawn Basin in Amran, and Saada Basin. These basins are fertile for agriculture and have not historically experienced displacement or migration in search of livelihood, but today they are witnessing enormous urban growth despite the ongoing war, within the context of natural development driven by the demands of modern times.

Agricultural fields within these basins are shrinking in favor of urban development. For instance, Amran is among the cities most rapidly expanding within this basin, which encircles it like a bow from the east, north, and south. Similarly, Saada, which remained confined within mud walls until a few years ago, is now expanding by tens of kilometers. The cities of Dhamar, Ma'bar, Ibb, Yarim, Rada', and Dhuran are not far apart geographically, and they are all steadily expanding as daily waves of migration from rural areas to cities continue.

Outside these agricultural, now urban, basins lie mountains with varying slopes, where people rely on cities or external migration (expatriates) to cover daily living expenses, as primitive agriculture is no longer sufficient to meet family needs.

These changes in mountainous environments suggest several factors that could significantly contribute to establishing lasting peace. However, all this social, demographic, and urban development hinges on a state that guarantees this massive integration between cities and rural areas.

In Tihama (western Yemen), large cities have not emerged within a context of urban and architectural consciousness, despite their proximity to the sea. Perhaps one city along Yemen's Red Sea coast attempted to endure and expand within a modern and developed urban context since the late 19th century, but it did not thrive and grow during the republican era.

Although cities such as Mocha, Al-Luhayyah, Al-Khawkha, and Midi on the western coast are older than Hodeidah, they did not develop and expand due to various factors, foremost among them the wars that plagued them for decades, especially during the last half of the 19th century and the first three decades of the last century.

Wars and conflicts in western Yemen undermined the growth and prosperity experienced by cities and markets in the Tihama plain during a century and a half, thanks to the coffee trade boom (the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century). Tihama cities such as Bajil, Zabid, Beit Al-Faqih, Al-Luhayyah, Al-Zahra, Al-Zaydiyah, Al-Jarahi, Al-Mansuriyah, Mocha, Al-Qutay', Al-Dahi, Haradh, and Midi suffered massive destruction, leading to the displacement of residents to rural areas and the migration of capital abroad.

These cities and urban centers have seen significant expansion over the past two decades despite the ongoing war, with heavy migration from mountain villages to the plains continuing. Tihama, with its peaceful environment, expansive lands, and proximity to valleys and ports, is now an attractive destination for capital coming from the mountains or from expatriates, seeking to invest in real estate, agriculture, and industrial construction. However, the current war nearly halted all these new developments related to trade and employment.

A similar situation is emerging in the east, paralleling the condition in Tihama (western Yemen). The city of Ataq is witnessing a tremendous expansion in construction and local migration from various parts of Yemen. Ataq, the capital of the oil-rich Shabwa Governorate, has been expanding since the post-unification period due to several factors, most notably oil and gas, and the return of much capital from Shabwa and Bayhan residents who had been residing in the Gulf states, seeking to invest in the regions they migrated from before unification.

While Mukalla has expanded both in terms of population and as a major port city on the Arabian Sea, the cities in the Hadhramaut Valley are also racing against time in remarkable ways: Say'un, Tarim, Al-Qatn, Al-Abr, Daw'an, and others. The same phenomena are occurring in Al-Mahra (in the far east) across its various cities and land and coastal ports, within the same context extending to Marib, albeit under different conditions and factors.

These new developments point to several future-oriented matters: first, the urgent need for peace within the framework of a fully functional state. Moreover, the rapid urbanization process places enormous burdens on any future governments, whose priorities will include developing strategies to keep pace with all these new phenomena. These strategies must organize, plan, and draft legal frameworks for urbanization and the environment, prioritizing the planning of safe cities, far from flood zones and prepared for the challenges of climate change, which is one of the most significant and dangerous dilemmas.

The recent surge in construction and urban development in most Yemeni cities has led to disasters and enormous losses in lives, properties, and agricultural and animal wealth due to unregulated construction and the absence of systematic and strategic planning for safe urban expansion. New neighborhoods in areas like Al-Kadan, Al-Dahi, Al-Marawi’ah, Beit Al-Faqih, Zabid, Al-Zaydiyah, and others have been flooded. These developments have altered flood pathways and their directions, nearly flooding major valleys such as Siham and Surrd, as well as large cities like Hodeidah and the historical city of Wadi Zabid.