Yemen: Hodeida and Bab el Mandeb strait

I think this is only the second or third time I'm mentioning Yemen in my blog so I'm not an expert in what is going on in Yemen, but you have to start somewhere. Essentially, there are Houthi rebels that are backed by Iran. Saudi Arabi and UAE are taking the lead in the fight against the Houthi.

Via Reuters, there is a discussion regarding the battle in the port city of Hodeida. This port city happens to allow food into the country. It is estimated that 8.4 million people are near starvation while 22 million are dependent on aid. Here's a key point and why the battle around this city is causing such a humanitarian crisis:

The Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthi movement had previously closed the port, the country’s main entry point for food, fuel and humanitarian supplies. In June, WFP [United Nations World Food Programme] was able to bring in three ships containing enough food for six million people for one month.



Via Eurasia Review, there is an analysis of what will happen in Yemen after claims by Saudi Arabia that the Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Bab el Mandeb strait. The Houthi claim they attacked a warship. This straight has Yemen to the east and to the west there is Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea.

The article has some interesting points:

1. The strait is patrolled by various countries to prevent piracy. This includes countries as diverse as China, Russia and the US. Even Thailand. I find it interesting that so many Asian countries are on the list: China, Thailand, Singapore, Pakistan, Australia, Japan. I would think that oil wouldn't need to go through the strait to get to them. Of course, there is probably oil product from Europe that also goes through the strait.

2. The US and Great Britain are supplying Saudi Arabia and the UAE with weapons; however, some in Congress and the British Parliament are questioning this tactic due to the humanitarian crisis that is resulting from the war.

3. The US and Great Britain are not the only countries trying to gain military influence in the area. Here's an interesting quote:

The Middle East’s multiple conflicts, including the Saudi-Iranian rivalry and the dispute between Qatar and a Saudi-UAE-led alliance that has imposed a 14-month old diplomatic and economic boycott of the Gulf state has spilled across the Horn of Africa with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and China competing for influence by gaining control of ports and establishing military bases. The UAE’s strong military and commercial presence in the region is one reason why Chinese President Xi Jinping recent stopped in the Emirates for three days on his way to a tour of Africa. 

This is a country similar to Libya that gets limited covered. Yet, this war has various world powers involved.