Houthi fighters on Marib front report starvation despite recent territorial gains
A Houthi soldier on the Marib front says troops are exhausted and going hungry even after seizing parts of the Bab el-Mandeb coast.
A Houthi fighter named Abdallah, communicating from the Marib front, described his comrades as exhausted and starving, claiming they receive no adequate sustenance. He criticized senior officers for neglecting soldiers' welfare, likening their treatment to that of sheep. Since the Houthis seized power in late 2014, they have dominated most of western Yemen.
A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to back the internationally recognized government, launching heavy bombing campaigns that temporarily reclaimed several cities. Over time, the coalition's involvement has diminished, and the Houthi faction now holds roughly 35% of Yemeni territory, including recent advances along the western coast up to the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
Why it matters
The report highlights humanitarian strain on Houthi forces amid ongoing conflict and shifting frontlines in Yemen.
How this story developed
- Sep 8 Houthi strikes wound dozens in Saudi cities as coalition vows retaliation
- Sep 9 The European Union called on the Houthis to stop all attacks and warned of threats to regional stability and Red Sea shipping.
- Sep 10 Saudi civil defence lifted the emergency alert in Khamis Mushait following the Houthi strikes.
- Sep 10 Intense fighting has erupted across Yemen's north, west and central zones, killing at least 194 people and wounding 880 in the past two weeks.
- Sep 10 Houthis intensified attacks on the al‑Makha district near the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait.
- Sep 11 Houthi units have moved onto the Hanish Islands and are pressing southward toward Bab al‑Mandeb.
- Sep 11 GCC nations issued a joint condemnation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia at the UN Security Council.
- Sep 11 Satellite images show smoke near Saudi Arabia's key East-West oil pipeline, heightening concerns over expanding Houthi attacks on energy assets.
- Sep 11 Houthis seized Perim Island and the town of Dhubab.
- Sep 11 Yemen's Saudi-led coalition said the Houthis attacked the Saudi Arabian southwestern cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Jazan with ballistic missiles and drones.
- Sep 11 Iranian and Saudi diplomats held talks aimed at reducing regional insecurity.
- Sep 11 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Donald Trump to authorize U.S. strikes against the Houthis, but the United States limited its role to intelligence and targeting assistance.
- Sep 11 Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said the pipeline was targeted by several drones launched from Iraq, causing human injuries and damage.
- Sep 11 New satellite data now show a smoke plume along the pipeline route.
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