A recent UN report reveals a staggering decline in fuel imports at the Hodeidah port, which is under the control of the Iran-backed Houthi group, classified as a terrorist organization by the international community. Since the beginning of 2024, fuel imports have dropped by more than 70%, primarily due to Israeli airstrikes on the facility.

The report, published by the World Food Programme (WFP) as part of its December update on food security in Yemen, indicates that fuel imports through Hodeidah fell by approximately 73% between January and November 2024 compared to the same period in the previous year. The port has not received any fuel shipments for four months, following the first Israeli attack in late July, with only a minimal amount entering in October.

The WFP highlighted that all fuel imports to Houthi-controlled areas in recent months have come through the ports of Salif and Ras Isa.

Overall, fuel imports via Red Sea ports over the past eleven months totaled 2.719 million metric tons, reflecting a slight decrease of 1% from the 2.739 million metric tons imported during the same period last year.

Concerns regarding fuel stock levels in Houthi-controlled regions persist due to damage sustained by storage infrastructure at Hodeidah and Ras Isa during recent attacks. The American firm Navanti reported that storage capacity in Hodeidah has plummeted from 150,000 to just 50,000 metric tons.