Yemen coastguard flees to Djibouti after Houthi takeover

Yemen's internationally backed coastguard has fled to Djibouti as Houthi forces seized control of the country's southwestern coastline. The coastguard, which received millions in training from the UK and other Western powers to combat piracy and intercept smuggling, could not withstand the Houthis' advance on Mokha last week. Many of the coastal forces evacuated have now taken refuge in Djibouti, along with tens of thousands of other Yemenis who have fled the conflict.

The UK government is working closely with the remnants of the coastguard, but international backing is now limited to the Gulf of Aden areas still under Yemeni government control. Concerns are growing that Saleh's retreat from the Bab Al Mandeb strait could allow the Houthis to expand their smuggling networks, which are connected to Al Shabab and the Sudanese Armed Forces.

The Houthis claim to have seized advanced coastal surveillance equipment from the coastguard. This development exposes the limitations of international support for Yemen, which critics argue has primarily focused on stabilizing the coastal borders while the civil war continues internally. Former British diplomat Edmund Fitton-Brown notes that "Smuggling will have been undermined, but not removed or defeated."

The coastguard's protection was provided by the National Resistance Forces (NRF), led by Tariq Saleh, who received Saudi backing in January and has been instrumental in securing Yemen's coastline. Gen Saleh arrived in Jeddah on Monday after meetings in Riyadh and has been at the forefront of international efforts to secure Yemen's coastline.

The UK pledged $4 million in 2021 to upgrade the Yemeni coastguard's fleets and protect critical shipping lanes. The Yemeni coastguard's retreat highlights the urgent need for more substantial international support to reinforce the government and stabilize a country still reeling from a devastating civil war.