As Yemen’s pro-government forces make their way into the coastal city of Hodeidah, liberating 78 kilometres of territory from Houthi control and standing within striking distance of the airport and seaport, the significance of the battle cannot be overstated.
The Red Sea port city and the fourth-largest Yemeni city is the Houthis’ main lifeline in the north, but also a ticking humanitarian bomb for more than 2.5 million residents.
For over a year, the Trump administration has balanced its approach between increasing logistical support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen and cautioning against intensifying the humanitarian crisis. Avoiding civilian casualties and prolonged fighting in Hodeidah, while trying to promote a political solution to the conflict, define Washington’s priorities.
A US State Department official, writing in an email to The National about the situation in Hodeidah, recalled Deputy Secretary John Sullivan's statement last week that "no party should obstruct the delivery of food, fuel and assistance to any part of Yemen". The National has learnt that a US State Department delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia last weekend to discuss political efforts in Yemen.
“The Hodeidah battle is extremely important to both sides in the war, as it is north Yemen's key lifeline,” said John Arterbury, a Yemen analyst at the Navanti Group, an analysis company in Washington.
The city hosts the second-largest port in the country after Aden. It has been under Houthi control since 2015. Since then, it has allowed the Houthis “to both profit off of resold [humanitarian] aid and provide food to the population it governs”, Mr Arterbury said.
For the Arab coalition, "taking Hodeidah could mean replacing the Houthis as the top guarantor of Yemen's food supply", he said. But he cautioned that "serious battles could disrupt food imports for a long period of time, or leave the port damaged or inoperable".
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Read more:
Houthi retreat signalled by sale of vehicles
Hodeidah: the Houthi's supply hub
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Such a scenario could be a nightmare for Washington, with Yemen “a few steps away from famine in some areas, and any significant upset in food deliveries could be the long-feared tipping point into calamity”, Mr Arterbury argued.
Several ideas are being debated to offset that nightmare scenario for Hodeidah’s population of about 400,000. One would be for the coalition to take the port while isolating the city.
“That could happen, but they have to secure a land route directly to the port,” Mr Arterbury said.
“I'm not sure it would be sustainable in the long run – the coalition's safest bet is to just go for the whole city, since the Houthis could still stage harassing attacks if they held the city and a route to it.”
The other option being discussed is a Houthi withdrawal that would spare the port and much of the city of infighting. “This is the coalition's best-case scenario, the Houthis have little popular support in Hodeidah, and any long-lasting defence would result in more human misery.” Mr Arterbury continued.
But the conclusion of this battle is unlikely to be that straightforward, according to observers.
"The Houthis will fight tooth and nail to keep the city and their control of the seaport," Nadwa Dawsari, a non-resident fellow at The Project for Middle East Democracy, told The National.
The Houthis have generated millions of dollars in revenues from controlling relief aid and other shipments coming through the port. So its loss would “deprive them of significant resources they relied on to fuel their war”, Ms Dawsari said.
In the long run, Ms. Dawsari urged the need “to have a post-battle plan to mitigate civilian harm, provide shelter, food and health services to the displaced population” from Hodeidah.
The US can help by putting pressure on the coalition to develop security and governance assistance for the battle’s aftermath.
Ultimately, all sides should seek to avoid the disruption or damage to the port, not only because of the economic consequences, but the human cost.
“Infighting in Hodeidah will have dire consequences on the humanitarian situation” if it disturbs the port activities, she warned.
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Read more about the coronavirus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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ENGLAND TEAM
England (15-1)
George Furbank; Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (capt), Elliot Daly; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Courtney Lawes; Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje; Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George, Joe Marler
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Kruis, Lewis Ludlam, Willi Heinz, Ollie Devoto, Jonathan Joseph
More on animal trafficking
The%20specs
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Paltan
Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios
Director: JP Dutta
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane
Rating: 2/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Arrab, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Mahaleel, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel.
3.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum handicap (TB) Dh200,000 2,000m; Winner: Dolmen, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Amang Alawda, Sandro Paiva, Bakhit Al Ketbi.
4.15pm: The Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m; Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
4.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: Al Jazi, Jesus Rosales, Eric Lemartinel.
Results
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,000m, Winner: Hazeem Al Raed, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: Ghazwan Al Khalediah, Hugo Lebouc, Helal Al Alawi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Dinar Al Khalediah, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi.
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Faith And Fortune, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Only Smoke, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: AF Ramz, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mass, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets