Houthi militants’ dominance over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait is disrupting global trade by diverting ships away from the Suez Canal, slashing its critical revenue streams. The blockade has also forced thousands of migrants and asylum seekers into dangerous sea crossings, straining neighboring countries’ resources and humanitarian systems. Meanwhile, the crisis is laying bare vulnerabilities in regional security, as competing interests and weak enforcement leave the vital shipping route—and the economies dependent on it—exposed to prolonged instability.
Houthi control of Bab al-Mandeb chokes Suez Canal revenues, triggers refugee flows, and exposes regional security gaps.
