Yemen port strike

Missiles and drones were fired at the Red Sea port of Mocha by a Houthi rebel group on 11 September.

“A series of explosions rocked the Red Sea port of Mocha that’s controlled by the government forces following coordinated Houthis strikes,” a local government source told China state news agency, Xinhua.

About four explosive-laden drones and three missiles struck Mocha, in the country’s southwestern province of Taiz, while a delegation of the government’s ministry of transportation was visiting the strategic port, said the government official.

The explosions affected the port’s infrastructure and destroyed a warehouse containing large quantities of humanitarian and relief supplies.

Yemen’s government was planning to reopen the port to receive commercial ships following years of suspension due to the country’s military conflict, according to the government source.

In June, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) partnered with Yemen’s Port Authorities, and the Dutch government through The Netherlands Enterprise Agency, and the Port of Rotterdam to assess and improve the capacity of Yemen’s ports. Following this, UNDP will work with Yemen’s port authorities improve working conditions and increase deliveries of essential supplies.

The Yemen Civil War began in 2014. Pro-government forces captured Mocha after battles against the Houthis in 2017.