Yemen is the region’s poorest country. And since the Arab Spring it’s also been one of the most unstable countries in the Gulf.

Now, the civil war in Yemen is getting worse by the day. Hospitals are being routinely bombed, some 10,000 people have been killed;, and extremist groups affiliated with Al Qaeda and ISIS have gained a foothold in parts of the country. There is no end in sight.

How did we get here?

In March 2015, a rebel group known as the Houthis consolidated control over the capitol city Sana’a and moved against the internationally recognized government of President Hadi. That brought in Saudi Arabia, which lead a US-backed military intervention in support of the beleaguered president. Meanwhile, UN mediation efforts are proceeding haltingly as the conflict intensifies.

On the line with me to discuss the current situation in Yemen, the roots of the conflict, and potential opportunities to advance a peace process is Adam Barron, a visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations. Adam goes pretty deep into the historic roots of instability in Yemen, which he traces to the early 1990s, and does a good job explaining the motives of each side of this ongoing conflict.

If you have 20 minutes and want a helpful way to understand how the crisis in Yemen devolved into a catastrophic civil war, have a listen.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher or get the app to listen later.