Yemen's Houthi Rebels Seize Key Shipping Lane, 125,000 Flee in Two Weeks
Iran-backed Houthi forces have captured a strategic Red Sea strait and sent tens of thousands of civilians running for their lives.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen has seized control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital global shipping route, triggering a massive wave of displacement. The United Nations reports that 125,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in just two weeks as fighting intensifies.
The Houthis, backed by Iran, have made a rapid advance along Yemen's Red Sea coast, capturing the port city of Mokha, Perim Island, and two strategic islands in the strait, Greater and Lesser Hanish [239185][241596]. The Bab al-Mandab is a narrow waterway between Yemen and East Africa that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a key route for global shipping, including oil tankers [239059].
The United Nations says more than 86,000 people have fled their homes since July, with most fleeing since early September when the Houthis launched a major offensive [240835]. The International Organization for Migration reported that about 1,400 Yemenis arrived in Djibouti within 24 hours, escaping growing Houthi activity around Marib, a strategic city in central Yemen [241646]. More than 2,000 Yemenis have fled to Djibouti after Houthi forces seized a key port city and an island on the strait [240854].
Traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait has nearly stopped, with only four vessels passing through the vital waterway in the last 24 hours [243385]. The Houthis have also attacked a military base in southern Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles, targeting weapons depots and command centers [240523].
The seizure threatens Saudi oil exports that pass through the commercial lane. In response, Saudi Arabia shut down a major oil pipeline as a precaution after it came under attack [239059]. The Bab al-Mandab is the second major energy chokepoint in the region after the Strait of Hormuz, and with both routes now under threat, the economic consequences could be severe [242818].
Fighting has also broken out near Marib, an oil-rich province in Yemen, where Houthi fighters are advancing on government forces backed by Saudi Arabia [243929]. The clashes mark a new escalation in Yemen's long-running war.
Aid groups say damaged roads, restricted access, and a lack of funding are slowing their efforts to help displaced families. Many are arriving at Al Kadha camp in Taiz, a makeshift site with few resources that is struggling to absorb the new arrivals [243353]. Yemen is the Middle East's poorest country, where half the population depends on humanitarian aid [239277][242818].
The Houthis are backed by Iran, while Saudi Arabia supports Yemen's government. The two sides have fought for years [239185].