Photo by Oatsy on Creative Commons
On the surface, when comparing the strength of global powers to international rebel groups, countries like the United States show its dominance in a multitude of aspects-military, economy, and internal stability. But we can’t forget that with each event carried out by rebel groups adding up, their damage is still significant; the Houthi rebels are no exception.
In 2014, the Yemen Civil War began as Houthi rebels formed to resist power from the Yemeni central government for differences in religious, political, and economic views. At the turning point of the war when the Houthi rebels captured Sannaa, Yemen’s capital, the group exerted their dominance to the point where they control one-third of Yemen’s territory today. Since then, the Houthi rebels continued attacks in the Red Sea to disrupt economic processes essential for Yemen’s success while shifting attacks to disrupt global shipping and supply.
During the October and November months of 2025, the Houthi rebels accelerated their attacks once again by striking ships in the Red Sea and arbitrarily detaining mariners that were associated with Yemen or Israel. However, the international community should still be cautious when it comes to maritime security, especially as the quality of life for Yemeni civilians deteriorates.
The aftermath of the Yemen Civil War was devastating for Yemeni citizens. Amnesty International reports how Yemen is currently facing one of the most catastrophic humanitarian crises in the world, with nearly 4.5 million individuals displaced from the war and over 17 million citizens facing extreme food insecurity. As a result, international groups like the United Nations have been active in providing aid to support civilian recovery through the most direct and efficient method of transporting goods to Yemen: the Red Sea.
Unfortunately, Houthi rebels have leveraged this support for their dominance. Al Jazeera reports condemnation towards the Houthi rebels for specifically attacking ships carrying humanitarian aid and focusing attacks on Yemeni ports like the Hodeidah, blocking access to resources and aid that are crucial for the survival of many civilians.
Recent attacks of blocking humanitarian aid access have signified the continuous obstacles that Yemeni civilians will face with the continuous threat in the Red Sea and in their ports. The Human Rights Watch quantifies that the humanitarian crisis in Yemen has deteriorated to a point where the 30 million individuals who need aid might never receive it, further accelerating the rate of poverty that has already decimated the lives for 80% of Yemen’s current population.
In this time of instability on the international scale, the attacks from the Houthi rebels only exacerbates current chaos. Houthi attacks have signified more than resistance to the Yemeni government; they have embroiled the entire international community. The rebel group has maintained clear grounds in support of Palestine, continuously condemning the United States and Israel for the war while instigating continuous conflict that has destroyed the global shipping industry. The international community must take precautionary measures to resist the implications of such attacks from rebel groups like the Houthis.
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