Israel has targeted the port as part of its strikes on Yemen, while the US and UK have carried out attacks on Hodeida city [Getty]
Operations at a Red Sea port in Yemen used for aid imports have fallen to about a quarter of its capacity, a UN official said on Tuesday, adding it was not certain that a Gaza ceasefire would end attacks between the Houthis and Israel.
The Houthis have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November 2023 in solidarity with the Palestinians amid Israel’s war on Gaza. Israel has struck Yemen’s port and energy facilities, including the Red Sea port of Hodeida.
“(The) impact of airstrikes on Hodeida Harbour, particularly in the last weeks, is very important,” Julien Harneis, U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator in Yemen told a U.N. meeting in Geneva on Tuesday via videolink.
Four of the port’s five tugboats needed to escort the large ships bringing imports had sunk, while the fifth was damaged, he said, without attributing blame.
“The civilian crews who man them are obviously very hesitant. The capacity of the harbour is down to about a quarter,” he added, saying the port was used to transit a significant portion of imported aid.
Israel has targeted the port as part of its strikes on Yemen, while the US and UK have carried out attacks on Hodeida city.
In recent weeks, Israel continued its attacks on civilian infrastructure in Yemen, striking the Hodeida and Ras Issa ports, as well as Sanaa’s Hezyaz power station.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said following the attacks that “Hodeida port is paralyzed, and the Ras Isa port is on fire – there will be no immunity for anyone”.
Since a Gaza ceasefire agreement last week, Yemen’s Houthis have said they will limit their attacks on commercial vessels to Israel-linked ships, provided the Gaza ceasefire is fully implemented.
“We are hopeful that sanity will prevail and people will be focused on solutions and peace, but we are nonetheless prepared as a humanitarian community for various degradations,” said Harneis, adding that the UN agency had contingency plans.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have controlled most of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since seizing power during 2014 and early 2015.
(Reuters)
