The port of Mocha in Yemen suspended operations following a series of Houthi attacks involving more than 25 missiles, which killed seven people and caused damage amounting to approximately $16 million, according to the port director.
The port, which is controlled by Yemen’s internationally recognized government, is located on the Red Sea, near the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait. Although it has a smaller capacity than the ports of Aden and Hodeidah, it is an important hub for shipping in the region.
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The Houthis attacked airports in Saudi Arabia
The Yemeni government had announced that the Iran-backed Houthis had fired six ballistic missiles at Mocha, killing at least four civilians and striking civilian, economic, and maritime facilities. The Houthis, for their part, claimed that they targeted military infrastructure belonging to Saudi Arabia-backed forces.
The escalation is heightening fears that Yemen will return to full-scale war after years of relative calm. Last month, the ceasefire between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government collapsed, following strikes attributed to the Saudi Air Force against Sana’a Airport.
In Mocha, where many displaced people from Hodeidah had sought refuge, residents say they now live in constant fear of new attacks. “I’m not afraid for myself, but for my children and my family. That’s the hardest part,” Anwar, a father of two, told Agence France-Presse.
Another resident reported that missiles and drones fly over the city every day. “Even though the gunfire we hear is far away, we’re afraid it will be here tomorrow,” he said.
Last week, the Houthis carried out their deadliest attacks in recent years, killing 58 members of government forces, mainly in the oil-producing province of Marib. Two civilians were also killed in bombings of residential areas and a camp for displaced persons.
According to the International Organization for Migration, approximately 60% of Yemen’s internally displaced persons have sought refuge in Marib. “If the war in Marib starts again, where are we supposed to go?” asked 46-year-old Ali Munif, who has been living in a camp since 2021.
The war in Yemen began in 2014, has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, and has caused one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
Source: CNA
