A policy paper titled “From Hybrid Conflict to a Recovery Model in Al-Sarari Village: Towards a Community-Led Roadmap for Restorative Justice and Peacebuilding” was launched during an online seminar held to review the Al-Sarari experience as a model for restorative justice and peacebuilding.
The paper was prepared by peacebuilding and human rights researcher Abdulghani Al-Hayajim, as part of the Yemen Peace Support (SPARK) project.
It was developed in partnership between the Abductees’ Mothers Association and SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, with support from the DT Institute, as part of ongoing efforts to promote restorative justice pathways and community reconciliation in Yemen.
The paper provides an in-depth analysis of the conflict in Al-Sarari village in Taiz Governorate, describing it as a microcosm of Yemen’s complex local conflicts, where sectarian, political, and military factors intersected, and where community disputes escalated into armed conflict within the broader context of the national war.
It explains that the conflict resulted from a set of root causes, most notably weak state institutions, social divisions, and historical disputes over resources, in addition to direct factors such as the militarization of the area and its transformation into a strategic location on the outskirts of Taiz city.
The paper also documents the humanitarian consequences of the conflict, including deaths and injuries, the displacement of more than 150 families, widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, as well as deep social and psychological impacts on the local community.
It proposes an integrated roadmap for recovery and peacebuilding based on empowering local actors and integrating restorative justice with development efforts through three main tracks: building trust and addressing urgent needs, recovery and rebuilding the social fabric, and sustainable development to prevent the recurrence of conflict.
The paper emphasizes that the success of this approach requires genuine political will, long-term donor support, and strengthening the role of local communities in leading reconciliation efforts. It concludes that the Al-Sarari experience represents a model that can be adapted to other Yemeni regions experiencing similar conflicts.