Bab Al-Mandeb Shipping Traffic Slumps as Houthi Advance Raises Red Sea Risks

ADEN, Sept 17: Shipping traffic through the strategic Bab Al-Mandeb Strait has fallen sharply amid renewed fighting in Yemen and the Houthi advance along the country's western coast, raising fresh concerns over one of the world's key maritime trade routes.

The strait, which links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides the southern gateway to the Suez Canal, has seen vessel movements decline as shipping companies reassess security risks in the region. Reuters reported that 21 vessels crossed Bab Al-Mandeb on Wednesday, down from 24 the previous day.

IMF PortWatch data showed 31 vessel transits on Sept. 13, compared with 43 on the same date a year earlier. The data also recorded substantial fluctuations in daily traffic during September, reflecting the impact of the deteriorating security situation.

The latest decline follows a major Houthi territorial advance along Yemen's Red Sea coast. The group has captured Mokha, Dhubab and Perim Island, also known as Mayun, positions that give it greater strategic access to the approaches to Bab el-Mandeb.

The developments have heightened concerns for global shipping because Bab Al-Mandeb is a critical southern gateway for vessels travelling between Asia, Europe and the Middle East through the Suez Canal.

Shipping companies have already diverted significant numbers of vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding considerable distance and time to voyages and increasing fuel, freight and insurance costs. The renewed security risks could further discourage carriers from using the Red Sea route.

The situation is particularly significant amid the continuing disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. A prolonged disruption at both maritime chokepoints would leave global energy and shipping networks with fewer practical alternatives.

Saudi Arabia can move crude from its eastern oil fields to Red Sea export terminals through its East-West Crude Pipeline, allowing shipments to bypass Hormuz. However, tankers loading at Red Sea ports and sailing toward Europe and other international markets still need to pass through Bab el-Mandeb.

The simultaneous pressure on Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb therefore threatens to complicate alternative routes for Gulf energy exports and could increase transportation and insurance costs if the security situation continues to deteriorate.

Recent reports also indicate that some major shipping companies have cautiously resumed or expanded services through the Red Sea and Suez Canal despite the Houthi territorial gains, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the future of the route.