Yemen's former leader Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi dies in exile at 80

Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi died at his residence in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at age 80. He had been Yemen’s internationally recognized president, leading a fractured government largely from exile for eight years as civil war and famine deepened. He fled house arrest by Houthi rebels and later lived in Saudi Arabia. In April 2022, he handed over powers to the Presidential Leadership Council during a United Nations-brokered ceasefire. Yemen remains divided between Houthi-controlled areas in the north and government-run areas in the south with multiple factions. The conflict has caused massive casualties and widespread need for humanitarian aid.

"Hadi died at his residence at age 80 on Thursday in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, but gave no other details. Hadi was the internationally recognised president of Yemen who led a fractured government mostly from exile for eight years as the country descended into civil war and famine before stepping down in 2022."

"Rashad al-Alimi, the head of the Presidential Leadership Council the leadership body of Yemen's internationally recognised government said Hadi believed in the Yemeni people's right to a just state, freedom and human dignity. He led the battle to defend the republican system, al-Alimi said on X. The government announced three days of mourning, during which flags will be flown at half-staff."

"Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia in 2015 as war erupted between the Iran-backed Houthis, who had forced the government from the capital Sanaa, and a Saudi-led coalition. He handed over his powers reportedly under Saudi pressure to the newly formed Presidential Leadership Council in April 2022, as Yemen entered a United Nations-brokered ceasefire."

"Yemen remains divided between the Houthi-controlled north and the government-run south, which includes a patchwork of factions. Although the ceasefire is largely holding, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of people through direct and indirect causes. Last year, 19.5 million people needed aid, the United Nations said."

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