The unreleased study based on research by a panel of Yemen experts for the United Nations Security Council found that the Houthis were pulling in $180 million per month in the “tolling” protection racket, one published report said, though the panel could not independently verify that number.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea — a critical route for ships sailing between Asia, the Mediterranean and the east coast of North America — with drones, missiles and watercraft, killing four people and sinking two vessels. The Red Sea provides access to the Suez Canal to the north and the Gulf of Aden to the south.
The Houthis claim to only block shipping from Israel-connected countries, but the study found attacks on vessels from Houthi-backing countries, including Iran, according to another news article.
Most major shipping companies have diverted containerships and tanker vessels away from the region and on to longer voyages via the Cape of Good Hope around the Horn of Africa. That route adds 10-14 days to the duration of a voyage, adding delays and costs for shippers. But a steady flow of local and region-based vessels continue to ply the Red Sea daily.
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The U.N. study found that the protection revenue is helping to finance and expand the Houthis’ operations in the region. This extended to cooperation with al-Qaida, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups, as well as pirates in Somalia and links to Iran’s military.
At the same time, the Houthis have built up a far-ranging network for money-laundering, recruitment, smuggling and moving arms.
If no one else will guarantee security, it makes sense that people would pay the Houthis to not be bothered. But it seems like no one cares enough to compete with them for the provision of...
If no one else will guarantee security, it makes sense that people would pay the Houthis to not be bothered. But it seems like no one cares enough to compete with them for the provision of security services in the region?
From the article:
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If no one else will guarantee security, it makes sense that people would pay the Houthis to not be bothered. But it seems like no one cares enough to compete with them for the provision of security services in the region?