Aden (Union)
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) revealed a sharp deterioration in the food insecurity crisis in areas under the control of the Houthi group in Yemen.
FAO explained, in a recent report, that the percentage of families suffering from severe food insecurity in these areas reached 44% last June, an increase of 3% over the previous month.
The report attributed this deterioration to a set of interconnected factors, most notably: the accelerating economic deterioration, the decline in humanitarian aid, the rise in prices of basic foodstuffs, as well as the negative effects of the Red Sea crisis.
In another context, the Joint Maritime Forces announced yesterday that Sweden has officially joined the international coalition working to protect maritime security in the Middle East region to confront the Houthi escalation against international commercial maritime navigation.
A statement issued by the Combined Maritime Forces said that this accession comes within the framework of the coalition’s ongoing efforts to combat terrorism, eliminate maritime piracy, and enhance regional cooperation to ensure a safe and stable maritime environment.
For his part, the Commander-in-Chief of the US Navy, Admiral George Wyckoff, praised Sweden’s joining the coalition, stressing that this step will greatly enhance the coalition’s capabilities.
Since last November, the Houthis have been launching attacks with missiles, drones and booby-trapped boats on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
They have attacked at least 88 commercial ships since the start of their campaign against international maritime trade, according to statistics published by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Global commercial shipping has been affected by Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, passing through Bab al-Mandab, which is a vital shipping lane for trade between the East and the West. This has forced several international companies to change the routes of their ships towards longer shipping routes and to go around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea, which has led to higher shipping costs and caused congestion in Asian and European ports.
In response to the Houthi attacks on maritime navigation, the United States announced the formation of an international maritime coalition and the launch of Operation Sentinel to ensure freedom of navigation and protect ships in the Red Sea, which is a strategic region through which 12 percent of global trade passes.
Since January 12, American and British forces have also begun carrying out strikes on Houthi sites.
The US military alone occasionally carries out strikes on Houthi missiles and drones that it says are ready to be launched.
The European Union also operates a security mission in the Red Sea to protect international maritime trade and secure its shipping lanes.
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