Martha Mundy

Martha Mundy is a professor emerita of anthropology at the London School of Economics. She began her research career in northern Yemen (1973-77), then taught in Jordan, Lebanon, France, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In 2011-12, she returned to Yemen to work with agronomists on agrarian transformation. Since the start of the war in 2015, she has examined the impact of policy and war on Yemen’s rural society and food systems, including authoring the report “The Strategies of the Coalition in the Yemen War” (World Peace Foundation, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, 2018). She is a contributor to the Observatory.

April 15, 2026

Columns/Geopolitics

Bound by Rivers, Driven by Strategy

Since the beginning of the new era, China’s policy of fostering amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy has significantly advanced its relations with neighboring countries. China has reached a

Diplomacy

China Marks 76th National Day in Maldives as President Muizzu Pledges Stronger Ties

The Chinese Embassy in the Maldives hosted a grand reception on September 30 to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the Mid-Autumn Festival. The event brought together nearly 250 distinguished guests, including

October 3, 2025

Solidarity in the Storm

Columns/Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka was struck by severe flooding and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah, leading to road blockages, destruction of homes and loss of life.

Clean Water, Shared Destiny: China–Sri Lanka Friendship in Action

Diplomacy

China and Sri Lanka first became connected through Buddhism and later through the Maritime Silk Road. The friendship between the two peoples has transcended

Yemen’s Socotra Archipelago: The UAE’s Occupation and Destruction of a World Heritage Site

November 29, 2023

History

Environmental destruction entails two intertwined processes: climate change and the destruction of biodiversity, which mutually reinforce each other. Both are human-caused. Climate change is not the lead driver of biodiversity loss; it is

Why the United Arab Emirates Is a Poor Choice for a Global Climate Summit

November 23, 2023

Columns

It is no joke; the man who will preside over the upcoming climate summit, COP28 (which will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from November 30 to December 12), is the chief oil