The religious leader of the Houthi rebels, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, has made a commitment to persist with the attacks until Israel ceases its bombings in Gaza and allows unimpeded humanitarian assistance. The Houthis are delighted by the support they receive from overseas. In New York, protesters express their enthusiasm, chanting, "Yemen, Yemen, we are proud of you! Prevent another ship from proceeding!"

The neglect of the Houthi insurgents towards the welfare of their own citizens in Yemen is frequently overlooked. After ten years of fighting, the United Nations has identified the humanitarian situation in Yemen as among the worst in the world. Over half of Yemen's 33 million inhabitants, translating to several million people, urgently require help to live. A large number of these people are in the north-west area, which is governed by the Houthis.

Within the areas under their control, the Houthi rebels hinder the flow of humanitarian aid. They obstruct the process of delivering assistance, making it difficult for aid to reach those in need. They demand control over the distribution of aid and impose restrictions on international aid workers. Additionally, they impose taxes, sell aid, and charge customs fees at checkpoints. In essence, they treat the aid program, which is worth billions of dollars, as a means to generate revenue. A former UN official accurately describes the situation by stating that, similar to Gaza, the risk of famine in Yemen is a result of deliberate actions taken by the Houthis. They exploit aid as a weapon to further their own interests and exert control.

Over the past ten years, Yemen's economy has heavily relied on foreign aid for survival. Following the Houthi rebels' seizure of the capital, Sana'a, in 2014 and the subsequent war with Saudi Arabia, various United Nations agencies have provided substantial financial assistance to prevent famine in the country. However, the Houthis, who follow a Shia offshoot of Islam, typically view foreign aid workers with suspicion, often treating them as if they are Western spies.

Following military strikes by the United States and the United Kingdom on Yemeni military targets in response to Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, the Houthi rebels have issued orders for American and British citizens to evacuate the country. For now, most of those affected, including Julien Harneis, the newly appointed humanitarian co-ordinator for Yemen from the United Nations, have sought refuge in Aden. Aden serves as Yemen's largest city in the southern region and is regarded as the administrative center for the internationally recognized government. Speculation is spreading that the Houthis may take measures to close down any United Nations or aid agency that declines to withdraw its American and British staff from Yemen.

Tensions have been escalating over a prolonged period. Since 2019, the Houthi rebels have obstructed the implementation of a biometric system proposed by the United Nations to monitor the distribution of aid and track its destination. Instead, the Houthis demand that the UN and other aid agencies adhere to a ration list created by their own administration. The ration list, which the Houthis require for aid distribution, also serves as a mechanism to register individuals for taxation and potentially for compulsory military service. As per a report by the United Nations last year, families who oppose the Houthi rebels, refuse to pay taxes, or resist sending their children to the frontlines have been excluded from the ration list.

The United Nations faces additional obstacles in Yemen due to Houthi checkpoints and the involvement of Houthi-selected contractors who supervise the distribution of aid. Aid workers are required to obtain approval from Houthi security personnel for every trip outside of Sana'a, while female staff members must be accompanied by a male guardian approved by the Houthis. Taiz, the third-largest city in Yemen, is effectively encircled and isolated, leading to significant limitations on its water resources. Aid workers are raising alarms about the absence of clear and transparent methods for distributing aid in the northern part of the country.

Individuals who speak out face harsh consequences. Foreign staff members might lose their entry or exit permissions, restricting their ability to travel. One person, looking forward to returning to Sana'a, intentionally avoids talking about access issues, fearing the potential fallout. Moreover, some local workers have been detained. Three individuals employed by the United Nations are currently imprisoned. In October, an aid worker from Save the Children, a charity based in the UK, passed away while in the custody of the Houthis. A former UN employee remarked, "The UN doesn't accept this situation anywhere else in the world. However, withdrawing could lead to 20 million people facing starvation."

Sometimes, the UN has tried to stand up to the Houthis' demands. In December, the World Food Programme (WFP) stopped giving food to all 9.5 million people it was helping in areas controlled by the Houthis. It's hard to tell what effect this had because it's so difficult to get into those areas.

The escalating tensions in the Red Sea have led to a rise in insurance premiums for shipping, which in turn increases costs for the financially constrained World Food Programme (WFP). This situation may also impede the timely delivery of essential goods to ports under Houthi control. Unfortunately, as the population grows increasingly hungry, their dependence on the Houthis for assistance intensifies. (IPA Service)