Houthi strikes shut al-Makha port, leaving 1,500 workers jobless

Houthi missile and drone assaults on al-Makha port intensified after a truce collapsed, culminating in an attack on August 9 that killed at least seven civilians and wounded thirty. The violence continued with strikes on merchant ships and the port’s remaining facilities, prompting director Abdulmalik Al-Sharabi to suspend all activities to protect the 1,500 port workers. Daily-wage laborers, exemplified by Mohammed Al-Homaidi, now lack income and fear food shortages, while fishermen like Abdulraoof Abdullah have been ordered to stay ashore, leaving families without sustenance.

Local trader Rashad says cargo will have to be diverted to Aden, inflating transport costs and threatening price hikes for residents. Public spaces, beaches and coastal walkways are closed, a nightly motorcycle curfew is enforced, and communications are limited to satellite services such as Starlink. The shutdown threatens the economic lifeline of Taiz governorate and neighboring regions, forcing reliance on more expensive import routes.