AL-MUKALLA: Twenty-six international aid groups working in Yemen have expressed deep worry about the effect of the military escalation in the Red Sea on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the war-ravaged country.
Tensions in the Red Sea have risen since November, when the Houthis captured a commercial ship and launched over 20 drone and missile strikes on commercial and navy ships, attempting to block the key passage to Israel-bound vessels.
The US formed a coalition to protect the Red Sea from Houthi assaults, and on Friday unleashed dozens of strikes on military targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
The aid groups warned that the conflict in the Red Sea would hamper supplies to Yemen and raise their expenses.
“We urge all actors to prioritize diplomatic channels over military options to de-escalate the crisis and safeguard the progress of peace efforts in Yemen,” the 26 organizations said in a statement, adding: “Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected, and safe, unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance must be guaranteed.”
Despite international pressure and bombing, the Houthis refused to cease their assaults, threatening to target all US and UK commercial and naval ships in revenge for the two countries’ airstrikes on Yemen.
The war in Yemen, which began a decade ago when the Houthis seized power, has killed tens of thousands of people and triggered what the UN has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The organizations, including Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council, Islamic Relief, and others said that thousands of Yemenis are in desperate need of lifesaving assistance, and millions have been displaced, face food insecurity, or have limited access to basic services.
If tensions between the coalition and the Houthis escalated into a conflict, many organizations would be obliged to halt activities in Yemen and battles near ports would hamper the delivery of supplies to Yemen, the organizations warned.
“Further escalation could result in more organizations being forced to halt their operations in areas where there are ongoing hostilities. Impacts to vital infrastructure, including strategic ports, would have major implications for the entry of essential goods into a country heavily dependent on imports,” they said in a statement.
The Houthis claimed credit on Tuesday for shooting missiles at a commercial ship in the Red Sea after it ignored their instructions not to go to Israel via the Red Sea.
The US military said it destroyed four anti-ship ballistic missiles before they were launched from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen. On Wednesday, neither the US nor the Houthis reported fresh incidents in the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Information Minister Muammar Al-Eryani accused the Houthis of kidnapping and torturing a prisoner who refused to assist them plant landmines.
According to the minister, Noman Yahya Arjal died as a result of serious injuries sustained during Houthi detention.
The Houthis forcibly disappeared him, denied him medication, and tortured him before throwing him onto a battlefield in Taiz, where he died from his wounds.
In a post on X, Al-Eryani said the mistreatment of the man, as well as the forcible disappearance, are “flagrant crimes and a stark example of the horrific violations committed by the terrorist Houthi militia against Yemenis since its coup against the state under total international community’s silence.”
Dozens of Yemenis have died in Houthi detention camps or days after release, suffering from illnesses and wounds received in custody due to torture or medical negligence.
