Houthis Answer Saudi Arabia’s Ceasefire Proposal with More Attacks

The agreement would allow the main airport in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, to reopen. The plan would also renew air and sea links in the country, allowing food and fuel imports to flow through Yemen’s central point of entry. Houthi officials immediately criticized the initiative, indicating that it did not go far enough to reverse the air and sea blockade that surrounds northern Yemen. The latest actions by the Houthis strongly suggest that peace with Saudi Arabia and the internationally-recognized Yemeni government is not a priority.

Civil war has plagued Yemen since 2014, when the Iranian-supported Houthi insurgents seized control of Yemen’s capital city. By early 2015, a Saudi-led Gulf coalition began a counter-campaign targeting the insurgents, backed by the United States. The devastating toll this war has taken on Yemen’s population has made the country the world’s worst humanitarian crisis since 2017. According to the UN, the death toll in Yemen exceeds 233,000 and more than 24 million people in Yemen need humanitarian assistance.

Although past rounds of cease-fire discussions between the Houthi rebels and the internationally-recognized government in Yemen have been unsuccessful, the Saudis are hopeful that recent events can play in their favor and motivate some action among Houthi leadership. Since President Joe Biden took office, the United States has reversed the Houthi’s terrorist designation, ended its support for Saudi-led war efforts, and proposed a “recalibration” of relations with Riyadh. In Yemen, Houthis have escalated missile and drone attacks targeting civilian sites and vital energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the Saudi-proposed peace initiative, Houthi rebels have continued to launch an offensive in the Marib Governorate of Yemen, potentially displacing over 300,000 civilians.  The Houthis’ fervent efforts to claim this last major city in Yemen demonstrate their unwillingness to cooperate with a ceasefire. Tim Lenderking, U.S. Special Envoy to Yemen, announced that “the Houthis are prioritizing a military campaign” at a moment where the international community is pushing for resolution. The United States, Europe and the United Nations all support the Saudi-led peace initiative.