Advancement of Yemeni Government Forces Towards Key Ports of Hodeidah

Yemeni government forces advanced on Thursday in areas controlled by rebels in the port city of Hodeidah, as hundreds of thousands of residents worry about the expansion of the battle into residential areas. According to AFP, after a week of intense fighting in the outskirts of Hodeidah, government forces and their supporters used bulldozers to remove barriers set up by the rebels on roads and streets, reaching residential areas. The port of Hodeidah has been under the control of Houthi rebels since 2014. Three military sources told AFP that Yemeni government forces and the Saudi-led military coalition are advancing towards the important ports of Hodeidah. Approximately 80% of Yemen's imports and nearly all humanitarian aid sent to the country under the supervision of the United Nations are unloaded at these ports. The military sources added that columns moving towards the ports have advanced about 2 kilometers on the main road heading east and about 3 kilometers on the coastal road heading south towards these targets. Members of the 'Azim Brigade,' known as the Yemeni National Resistance, trained and armed by the United Arab Emirates, were seen driving vehicles marked with the unit's insignia in the streets of Hodeidah, signaling victory with their hands. One commander of this unit stated, 'Either the rebels will surrender the city without a fight, or we will seize it by force. In any case, we will take Hodeidah.' As ground forces advance, aircraft from the Saudi-led military coalition are bombing rebel positions. Hospital officials in areas controlled by the Houthis reported at least 47 rebels killed. Doctors in government-controlled areas also stated that at least 11 soldiers and government forces have been killed. According to published statistics, the death toll from recent clashes in Hodeidah is around 250, of which 197 are rebels and 52 are government forces and their supporters. The Houthi rebels took control of large parts of Yemen, including the port of Hodeidah, after seizing Sanaa in 2014. The Saudi-led military coalition intervened in the war in support of the Yemeni government in the spring of 2015 and has since managed to drive the rebels out of almost all southern regions of the country and most of the Red Sea coast. Government forces, with extensive support from the UAE ground forces, began operations to retake Hodeidah in June of this year. However, according to a Yemeni army official, progress has been slow due to fortifications and minefields set up by the rebels around the city. Abdul-Malik al-Houthi: 'We will not surrender.' Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the rebels, stated on Wednesday evening that despite the enemy's numerical superiority, the Houthi rebels will never surrender to the Saudi-led military coalition. He added, 'The enemy has numerical superiority and has mobilized more forces to exert more pressure on Hodeidah. But if they think that by breaching one point or capturing one area we will surrender and relinquish control of the city, they are greatly mistaken. Such an event will never happen.' Aid agencies have warned that the expansion of the battle in Hodeidah will lead to heavy civilian casualties and halt the delivery of essential needs to the people. The United Nations states that about 14 million people in Yemen are facing the risk of famine and hunger, and the situation in the country is the largest humanitarian disaster in the world. According to World Health Organization statistics, around 10,000 people have been killed in the Yemen war since 2015, but aid agencies say the actual death toll is several times higher.