In a major development, the United Nations on Friday decided to suspend all travel activities into areas held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels after more of their staff members were detained by the rebels. It comes after Houthis detained UN staffers as well as individuals associated with the once-open US Embassy in Sanaa and aid groups. The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the UN’s decision.
However, it comes as they have been trying to de-escalate their attacks on shipping and Israel after a ceasefire was reached in the Israel-Hamas war.
The Iran-backed Houthis have been a reason for instability in the country as they have recently targeted US- and Israel-linked assets in the region.
US military carries out strikes against Houthis
Recently, the US military carried out a wave of strikes against what it said were underground arms facilities of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. US Central Command said in a statement that Wednesday’s strikes targeted weapons used by the rebels to attack ships in the Red Sea.
The United States and its allies have carried out repeated strikes on the Houthis, who have continued to target shipping.
The rebels say they target ships linked to Israel, the US, or the UK to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
Who are Houthis?
The Houthis are an armed group, which are also known as Ansar Allah (supporters of God). They control most parts of Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, as well as some areas in the western and northern parts, which are close to Saudi Arabia.
The emergence of Houthis dates back to the 1990s; however, they rose to prominence in 2014. They rebelled against Yemen’s government in 2014, ultimately forcing it to step down and sparking a crippling humanitarian crisis.
(With inputs from PTI)
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