(ConservativeJournal.org) – Iranian-backed Houthi militants recently attacked a ship holding humanitarian aid on its way to the Port of Aden in Yemen. The attack happened in the afternoon of February 19, local time.
The militants shot two ballistic missiles at the Sea Champion, a carrier ship piloted by Greece and owned by the US. Only one missile made contact. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. Despite the attack, the ship was able to maintain course and deliver the supplies they had on board. Because most of Yemen’s population depends on humanitarian aid, incidents like this only escalate the situation.
The US Center for Command condemned the attack, saying that Houthi aggression only delays much-needed aid to the people of Yemen. The Houthis assert that their strikes are responses to the attacks on Gaza by Israel.
The ship that was targeted, Sea Champion, has a history of delivering humanitarian aid. It delivered supplies to people in need on over 11 occasions over the past decade.
Frequent assaults on vessels in the region have significantly disrupted shipping routes in the Red Sea. A lot of ships have begun to take lengthy alternative routes, with some of them circling the entire continent of Africa. Another ship called the Rubymar faced a similar attack recently, forcing its crew to abandon ship. Despite Houthi claims of the Rubymar sinking, US officials confirmed that it is still functioning. These attacks underscore the threat of commercial shipping in the area.
In response, the US and the UK have begun to increase the amount of airstrikes against Houthi locations in Yemen to try and lessen these types of attacks. Even with a military response, the militants persist in posing a significant threat to marine security and humanitarian operations in the region. Further attacks on ships in the area will only make outcomes for Yemen worse in the long run.
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