Environment
Houthis' attacks on cargo ships harm marine ecosystems, coastal communities
The targeting and sinking of merchant vessels transporting hazardous cargoes creates a cascading crisis for marine life and regional economies.
![This picture taken March 7, 2024 shows the Rubymar cargo ship partly submerged in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. The bulk carrier, which was transporting thousands of tons of fertilizer, went down after a Houthi missile attack. [Khaled Ziad/AFP]](/gc1/images/2025/08/12/51467-Rubymar-vessel-sinks-600_384.webp)
By Faisal Abu Bakr |
ADEN -- The Houthis' relentless attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea have transformed one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into an environmental disaster zone, environmental and legal experts warned.
The attacks on cargo vessels threaten marine ecosystems, coastal communities and the global economy, while displaying blatant disregard for international law and innocent lives, they said.
Between July 6 and 9, Houthi strikes on cargo ships Magic Seas and Eternity C resulted in both vessels sinking, killing several sailors and injuring others.
Several crew members were kidnapped during the attacks.
The sunken ships leaked oil and cargo materials, creating an 18-nautical-mile oil slick that poses severe threats to Red Sea biodiversity, regional desalination plants and food security for impoverished coastal communities.
Other Houthi attacks impacting the environment include the sinking of the Rubymar, which was carrying 21,000 tons of fertilizer, in February 2024.
"The Houthis do not care about the catastrophic consequences resulting from the sinking of ships carrying hazardous materials," Arab Democratic Center in Berlin research projects director Abdul Qader al-Kharraz told Al-Fassel.
The oil slick has negatively impacted water quality and marine life, said al-Kharraz, who previously headed Yemen's General Authority for Environmental Protection.
Negative effects include "the death or migration of organisms, or their absorption of toxins that are later transmitted to humans through the food chain, posing a serious health threat," he said.
The marine pollution also threatens the livelihoods of coastal fishermen and endangers Yemeni fish exports, al-Kharraz said.
Sea mines planted by the Houthis in the Red Sea also "pose a direct threat to fishermen" and their lives and livelihoods, he added.
Global impact
The Red Sea shipping disruptions that came about as a result of the Houthis' aggression force vessels to divert around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, significantly increasing fuel consumption and carbon emissions, al-Kharraz said.
Deputy Minister of Justice Faisal al-Majeedi branded the Houthis as "pirates and terrorists," accusing them of destroying the marine environment and thousands of poor fishermen's livelihoods.
The group, coordinating with criminal organizations, "is working to sink ships carrying hazardous materials as part of a plan that threatens the environment of the Red Sea and littoral countries," he said.
Al-Majeedi said the Houthis turned to "militarizing the Red Sea" after domestic failures, attempting to market their project internationally under false pretenses while "implementing Iranian agendas to spread chaos in the region."
The attacks have caused significant regional economic losses, with the Suez Canal Authority reporting 50% revenue loss due to navigation disruption, he said.