What’s new? Three years into Yemen’s destructive war, a battle is shaping up for the Huthi-held port city of Hodeida, a lifeline for the bulk of Yemen’s population. Forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are advancing on the port and may soon seek to make a final push.
Why does it matter? A battle for Hodeida is likely to be prolonged and leave millions of Yemenis without food, fuel and other vital supplies. The fighting will discourage rather than enable a return to the negotiating table. Yemen will fall even deeper into what is already the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
What should be done? The U.S. should not greenlight a Hodeida offensive, should press the UAE to halt the movement of men under its control, and convince the coalition, along with its Yemeni partners, to participate in UN-led negotiations over control of the port.
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