Yemen (MNN) — Conflict within Yemen and with its neighbors has been escalating. Last week, the Iran-backed Houthis attacked four cities in Saudi Arabia, wounding dozens and damaging oil facilities. They proceeded to capture Yemen’s port city of Mocha on September 10, which was formerly under the control of Yemen’s government-aligned groups. 

Capturing Mocha means the Houthis have an even stronger foothold on the Red Sea shipping route, which is anything but good in the big picture of international trade. 

“With what’s happening with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea channel has become a lot more important now,” says Trey Hulsey, a consultant who works with ministries and non-governmental organizations across the Middle East. “So [the Houthis are] kind of recognizing that and making moves to assert control where they’re able to.”

In the days since Mocha fell, Yemen’s exiled government has launched attacks against the Houthis. On Monday this week, Saudi Arabia conducted airstrikes on Houthi targets as well. 

Religious layers exist in these conflicts

Some of the dynamics in Yemen spring from the division between Sunni Islam and Shia Islam, says Hulsey. 

Saudi Arabia is generally the leading voice among Sunni Muslims in the Middle East. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are among these Sunni-majority nations. Meanwhile, Iran is generally the leader of Shia Muslims, who are present in parts of Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Yemen’s Houthis are from the Zaydi branch of Shia Islam. 

“They [Sunni-led nations] would much prefer that there is no Shia influence in the Arabian Peninsula, and the Houthis without question have become over the past decade a significant force in the Arabian Peninsula, which we’re seeing play out in all the fighting that goes on,” says Hulsey. 

Humanitarian crises are going overlooked

These governmental and religious circumstances have practical, tragic outcomes in Yemen. Years of civil war have trapped more than 40 million people in a worsening humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations, 22 million people need food assistance, and 18 million are facing acute food insecurity. 

“Food security and malnutrition are enormous, especially for children under the age of five,” says Hulsey. “[Lack of] basic medicines and clean water become a real problem, and that causes all kinds of problems: cholera, so many things.”

Despite the great need in Yemen, the Houthis continue to restrict the work of aid groups in northern and western Yemen.

Socotra Island, Yemen (Stock photo courtesy of Andrew Svk via Unsplash)

“They prefer to find as much control as possible versus kind of good for the people, unfortunately,” Hulsey says.

Aid workers have been arrested for their association with Western agencies, Hulsey says, and Christians have also been arrested for their faith. 

“On a spiritual level, there’s warfare happening. On a governmental level, there’s persecution. On a societal and familial level, most people do not want their sons or daughters or uncles or whatever it is to leave Islam for any reason,” he says. “So you have believers that are trying to live out their faith in extremely hostile environments, extremely dangerous environments.”

Pray for Yemen’s church

“The world will hate Christ, even if the people that are following Christ are passing out food and teaching children and providing medical care,” says Hulsey. “There’s an element of spiritual warfare that doesn’t welcome that simply because of Who lives in the people doing it.” 

Pray that God will continue to make Himself known to the Yemeni people. Pray for the encouragement and perseverance of Yemen’s Christians. Pray for peace. Pray that God redeems even these debilitating challenges in order to reveal Himself to people as their full and final hope.

“Even though it seems that this is a place that He’s forgetting, He’s not forgetting this place,” says Hulsey. 

 

Header photo: Bab el Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, near territory controlled by Yemen’s Houthis. (Image courtesy of NASA/WorldWind/Wikimedia Commons)