"Its law of the Jungle in Yemen," is how a top government official recently described Yemen in a few words. I was hoping to hear a more positive expression given that the two year transition period is coming an end. But I can't blame him, he was saying the truth.
People have lost hope in the National Dialogue and smell failure and fear of a near collapsing state. Little progress has been made, or in other words, a lot of talk but no action.
The problems of old are the same today and at times even worse.
Billions of US dollars are still looted in the poverty stricken Yemen with not one corrupt senior official prosecuted. Yes, the old regime was swept from power, but current officials have proven to be as corrupt if not more. With a near bankrupt situation, Saudi Arabia currently halted any financial support for Yemen. Its accurate to say that the country will be facing a never before witnessed economic crisis.
Laws are only practiced against the weak and helpless. The powerful are free to roam and act as they please.
Aside from the dialogue table, an internal war is currently ongoing in the north of Yemen and this weeks death tolls exceed a 100.
The southern issue is more complicated than ever and southerners within the National Dialogue represent less than 30 percent of the southern population.
Al-Qaeda is regrouping and seeking to become a power once again.
More than a million jobs have been lost since 2011 and those who lost  jobs remain unemployed.
Safety and security in Yemen is nowhere to be seen. Government authority and presence over many parts of the country is limited, and where they are present they are almost useless.
Yemenis are asking, where is the major success the United Nations Secretary General and his Envoy to Yemen are claiming? Problems will not be solved if we are not realistic and continue clapping when there is very fractional progress.

ABOUT Yemen Post Publisher & Chief Editor:

Hakim Almasmari is an American journalist and Middle East expert based in Sana'a, Yemen. His work has appeared for many of the worlds top media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Washington Post, AlJazeera, Fox News, The Guardian, The National, USA Today among numerous others. He has also worked with some of the world’s top organizations. Reporting out of Yemen for nearly eight years, he is the current editor in chief for the Yemen Post. He is a university lecturer in the field of international media and also studied business and law. Considered one of the top experts on Yemen, Almasmari has closely worked with international strategic centers and think tanks helping them better understand Yemen. He is a frequent guest on many international TV outlets discussing current local and international affairs. Almasmari's ancestors are from Yemen, and was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA. His mother tongue is English and is fluent in Arabic.