Saudi Arabia has launched a multinational maritime coalition to protect shipping, the kingdom’s ambassador to the United Nations said, according to AlQahera News.
The ambassador called for a firm response from the UN Security Council to the militarisation of strategic waterways, warning that Yemen’s Houthi rebels were threatening maritime safety in the Bab al-Mandab strait.
The comments came as the United Nations condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and voiced growing concern over threats to shipping routes in the Red Sea and around Bab al-Mandab, a vital gateway between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
“We are concerned about the continued instability affecting vital maritime routes in the region,” UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East Khaled Khiari told a special Security Council meeting on Yemen.
“Freedom of navigation in and around these waterways must be restored and respected,” he said, calling on all parties to uphold maritime freedom.
Khiari also said that 225,000 people had been displaced in Yemen since the beginning of September, warning that threats in Bab al-Mandab could have serious consequences for energy supplies and food security.
