US Embassy Rejects Houthi Blockade Claims, Citing UN Yemen Shipping Data

The United States Embassy in Yemen has rejected assertions by the Houthi movement that a Saudi-led blockade is restricting commercial shipping into the country. In an Arabic-language video released on Tuesday evening, embassy spokesperson Khaled Wolfsberg cited operational tracking data to show that merchant vessels continue to deliver food, fuel, and containerised goods to rebel-held ports.

According to figures aligned with the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen, 272 commercial ships successfully docked at Houthi-controlled facilities between January and September 2026. The shipments targeted the Red Sea ports of Hodeidah, as-Salif, and Ras Isa. Monthly arrivals reached a peak of 34 vessels in both January and March, while July recorded 25 incoming ships during a slower operational period.

The inspection data indicates that essential food imports remained steady across the nine-month period. March recorded the highest volume of food deliveries at more than 737,000 tonnes, following nearly 630,000 tonnes logged in January. Late summer figures showed continued deliveries, including over 511,000 tonnes in August and 495,000 tonnes in September. In addition, container ships unloaded 1,231 containers at Hodeidah in January and 1,268 in April, alongside a fuel delivery exceeding 149,000 tonnes in February.

While commercial traffic entered northern ports, the American diplomatic mission highlighted deteriorating conditions in Taiz, a government-controlled city surrounded by Houthi forces. Wolfsberg accused the militia of actively blocking food and fuel intended for hospitals and municipal water stations inside the city. Wolfsberg said that the only real blockade is the one cruelly imposed by the militia on Taiz by preventing the entry of food and essential supplies for citizens.

The United Nations has warned that recent military action in Yemen has worsened conditions for civilians in Taiz and surrounding areas. The Houthi movement, which seized the capital of Sanaa in September 2014, expanded its control along the Red Sea coast by capturing the port city of Mocha in September 2026.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com