Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025

Coalition warplanes force Yemen's fishermen into the shallows

Coalition warplanes force Yemen's fishermen into the shallows

Yemeni fisherman Yaser Rutain came back to port with a guitar shark and some sea catfish, a decent catch considering he had to keep close to shore to avoid fighter jets and helicopters of the Saudi-led coalition patrolling the Red Sea coast.
He unloaded his fish in a wheelbarrow in the crowded fishing port of Hodeidah city, where the polluted waters are shared by dhows and seagulls.

Coalition forces withdrew from the city's outskirts this month, but residents say warplanes of the Saudi-led alliance have responded with relentless air strikes as their foes, fighters from the Houthi movement, advanced to replace them.

"We cannot reach areas where there are fish because of the airplanes flying overhead," Rutain said.

Another fisherman, Muhammad Ali Junaid, described a frightening encounter with coalition aircraft at sea: "We were five miles off Hodeidah and an apache helicopter kept hovering over our heads and shooting around."

Restrictions on fishing along the Red Sea coast have created more hardship for hungry families in north Yemen, where food is scarce after six years of war and amid a blockade on Houthi-controlled ports by the coalition.

Fish prices have more than doubled due to the risk of venturing in dangerous waters and high fuel prices.

Hodeidah province has enjoyed relative calm since late 2018 under a U.N.-sponsored truce that has largely held as fighting raged elsewhere in Yemen. But coalition warplanes and warships still prowl the air and waters off its coasts.

Yemen's air space and most of its coastal waters are controlled by the alliance, which intervened in Yemen in March 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that holds Hodeidah port city in the west and most of the north.

The coalition says it is preventing arms smuggling and protecting itself from boats that may be laden with explosives. It denies targeting fishing boats. But fishermen say its operations put them in danger.

Rutain said around 300 fishing boats had been attacked at sea during the conflict, "and 300 others cannot reach waters where they can make a catch. The flying is day and night."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×