Values :

Impartiality – Commitment – Integrity - Credibility

Vision :

To be one of the main sources and reference for researchers and those interested in Yemeni affairs, in order to provide wider support for democratic process

Our Message :

To produce a highly professional and impartial studies and reports, and share them with specialists in the Yemeni affairs in various aspects; political, humanitarian and cultural.

Objectives : 

• Conducting research, studies and reports in various fields.
• Participating in seminars and studies related to Yemeni affairs.
• Networking and collaborating with centers and institutes specialized in Yemeni affairs.
• Documenting all obtainable studies and reports on Yemen.
• Developing the culture of studies, research and consulting services in the Yemeni affairs.

Yemen plays a vital role in the geopolitical landscape of the Arabian Peninsula as it overlooks one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and borders the world’s primary producers of oil. Moreover, Yemen is described by the U.S. administration as “an important partner in the global war on terrorism.” Despite Yemen’s strategic importance, the scarcity of reliable and objective information about the country continues to be a real problem that impedes a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the situation on the ground by the public, the media, and policymakers. This misunderstanding results in policy that does not sufficiently address the needs or realities on the ground and creates reverberating problems in the political, social, economic, and legal spaces in the country, complicating any hope for a resolution of Yemen’s crisis. The result is what the World Health Organization describes as the worst humanitarian disaster since World War II, with more than 80% of the population living below the poverty line and 75% of them relying on relief aid provided by international organizations. Moreover, the instability in Yemen negatively affects regional and global political, economic, and security interests.

Through the utilization of a diverse network of contacts across different political and social spaces of Yemeni society, the Washington Center for Yemeni Studies (WCYS) recognizes and places immense value on credibility and objectivity, producing knowledge in the form of periodic reports, research outputs, and field studies. It also builds partnerships with like-minded organizations and centers by facilitating an exchange of information and ideas. The WCYS team works to explain, unpack, and assess the complexities of the situation in Yemen, with the goals of (1) helping policymakers navigate, understand, and provide solutions for the key political, humanitarian, legal and social issues in Yemen; and (2) assisting with the research and academic output of other think tanks and centers through the provision of accurate, reliable, and objective information.