The bombardments in Yemen against Houthis and an already complicated humanitarian situation

Some weeks ago, the USA and the UK gave a strong answer to the acts of piracy made by the rebels Houthi through several focused bombardments. At the beginning of January, Biden had already announced that “the military group supported by Iran already felt the consequences of its attacks as concerning the business navigation in the Red Sea”. The situation is very fragile: the country is almost entirely under the control of the group of rebels Houthi, and it is one of the most complex humanitarian crisis all over the world.

Why there was a bombing against Houthi

Since October 07^th, when the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip started, Houthi – Shiiitic group anti-government financed by Iran – strengthened the attacks in the Red Sea against commercial ships supposed to belong to Israel, aiming to express their support to the Palestinian group Hamas.

The continuous attacks of piracy, which went on for weeks, hit the ships belonging to the biggest international companies in the world, and it damaged the international sea trade. At 12%, this kind of trade crosses the entrance Bab el-Mandeb, the entry to the Red Sea placed on the West Coast of Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Many ships decided to cross the Cape of Good Hope, making the path longer of around 3000 nautical miles (corresponding to more than additional 5500 km) and facing very high costs to reach the west ports in a safer way.

The attacks provoked the reaction of the USA and the UK, supported by Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain, which drove an action aimed at damaging the military buildings belonging to the rebel group. In a joint declaration, these states highlighted that the action in the Red Sea was carried on to “reduce the escalation” and “restore the peace.”. It was, then, a necessary action to protect international trade.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union also discussed how to defend the sea trade. In particular, the axis Rome-Paris-Berlin presented the so-called “Aspides Mission," the project for a European defensive military mission. In spite of being a military mission, the mission will be controlling and not bombarding the Yemeni state and working as a military deterrent towards these attacks, putting themselves far from the Anglo-American mission. The details sure about the number of ships provided by each state are not available yet. There are rumours about consent, but there is not yet a formal decision, which will probably be specified on February 19^th in the meeting of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs.

What the consequences less discussed are

In Yemen, a civil war has actually been going on for years, in the silence of the international press. The country is divided not only between Shiites and Sunnis, but also by opposed power which support the conflict from an external point of view. The internal consequences are, once again, to the detriment of the civil population, who is living in one of the most serious humanitarian crises all over the world.

According to a report published by UNDP in 2021, more than 377000 people lost their lives; more than half of them died for indirect reasons such as the lack of food, water, and electricity. The population, estimated around 30 million, is facing difficult lacks of food, water, sanitary services and health assistance. According to OCHA, more than 21.6 million of Yemeni people still need humanitarian assistance and 80% of the population is fighting to access commodities. The situation is getting worse and worse because of the economic crisis: the inflation and the plunge of the Yemeni coin brought to a significant reduction in the purchasing power of the population.

Human Rights Watch's World Report 2024 highlighted serious human rights violations by all factions in the conflict. These violations include illegal attacks resulting in civilian deaths, arbitrary detentions and restrictions on humanitarian organizations. Saudi border guards are accused of killing hundreds of migrants, a possible crime against humanity, using explosive weapons and shooting at close range, including women and children. The international community has been criticized for not keeping its commitments to the Yemeni people while human rights violations continue.

Organizations such as Human Rights Watch have argued that attacks directed against civilians and civilian property, whether carried out intentionally or negligently, would constitute a war crime. Human Rights Watch argued that, in several circumstances, the targeted vessels showed no direct links to Israel or evidence of military targets on board.

The issue of the attacks on cargo ships has thus once again turned the spotlight on the situation in Yemen. It seems that the humanitarian crisis remains in the background, although the situation is worryingly escalating. Food insecurity has particularly worsened; on December 5, in fact, the World Food Program (WFP) decided to suspend its aid program in the northern part of Yemen controlled by the Houthis, and at the same time, rising shipping costs are making access to basic foodstuffs increasingly difficult for Yemenis.

The risk of escalation in the region risks impacting recent fragile progress in the humanitarian field and towards achieving a political solution to end the war in Yemen, leaving the population to deal with the consequences of an ongoing conflict. Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Political Affairs, Peacebuilding, and Peace Operations Departments, recently issued a press release calling on all parties concerned to "do their utmost to avoid further escalation, reduce tensions and exercise restraint," while also reiterating the need to ensure the safety of maritime navigation.

The situation requires urgent efforts to address the humanitarian crisis and promote a sustainable political solution, with greater efforts to determine accountability for crimes committed. The search for peace in Yemen is not only crucial for the stability of the region but is also a key element in mitigating the impact of the humanitarian crisis on civilians.

Mondo Internazionale APS - Riproduzione Riservata ® 2024