Yemen’s Transport Minister Mohammed Qahim denounced Saudi Arabia for waging a sustained campaign against Hodeidah Port since the start of its war on Yemen, saying it has crippled Red Sea trade and caused heavy losses to the country’s maritime infrastructure.
According to Qahim, the Saudi-led aggression did not stop at airstrikes, but extended to a system of restrictions, inspections, and shipping threats that have strangled commercial activity through Hodeidah and raised costs for importers and consumers alike.
He added that Saudi Arabia bombed Hodeidah Port from the outset of its offensive, later destroying cranes and berths and leaving damage that remains difficult to repair to this day.
The Yemeni minister added that the attacks on the port were accompanied by a wider campaign of pressure aimed at preventing ships from reaching Yemen’s western coast.
Furthermore, Saudi authorities have also imposed inspection procedures, permit requirements, and long waiting periods for cargo stuck in Djibouti for months, creating a logistical bottleneck that disrupted the flow of essential goods into Yemen.
As a result, the cost of war-risk insurance on a single container can reach $12,000, compared with around $2,000 to $3,000 at other ports. Qahim said these measures are intended to strain Yemen’s economy, while threats against ships bound for Hodeidah have reinforced the blockade.
He also said a wide range of goods, including refrigerators, vehicles, and heavy machinery, has been barred from entering Yemen for 12 years, hampering reconstruction and preventing the replacement of damaged port equipment.
Finally, Qahim said damage to the Red Sea Ports Corporation exceeds $12 billion, with Hodeidah’s annual container traffic plunging from over 300,000 to just 400–500 containers, reflecting years of war, blockade, and attacks on port infrastructure.
