Yemen’s people under Houthi attack

The ultra-reactionary Houthi Islamist movement which controls most of Yemen continues to target shipping in the Red Sea with missiles and drones in support of Hamas in Palestine.

According to Houthi leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, speaking on 4 April, 424 US-British air strikes on Houthi targets have killed 37 people. The US and UK hope to prevent the attacks, which are causing shipping companies to re-route vessels and disrupting global supply chains.

The US-led attacks began in January 2024 and we warned in Solidarity they were unlikely to succeed in stopping the Houthis. Unfortunately, that has been proved to be correct. Shipping through the Red Sea is down to about 40% of usual.

Al-Houthi claims that the movement launched 34 attacks in the last month, using 125 ballistic missiles and drones. Some experts say the attacks are in fact diminishing. The US is now looking for a diplomatic way out and expressing the hope that the Houthis are running out of munitions.

Inside Yemen the position of the Houthis has been strengthened. The regime is highly repressive. Dissidents are often accused of various forms of “immorality”.

A judge who used social media to criticise the Houthi attacks on shipping was arrested in January for alcohol consumption.

According to the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor Houthi courts have sentenced 350 people to death since taking over the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, and executed 11 of them.