US And UK Aid Workers Face Expulsion From Yemen

Following the strike against the Houthis in Yemen, British and US aid workers have been instructed by Houthi authorities to leave Yemen. As Sky News first reported, all officials and workers holding American and British citizenship must be prepared to depart the country within a maximum period of 30 days.

In a letter to Yemen’s United Nations coordinator, the Houthi-controlled foreign affairs committee stated that “The ministry would like to emphasize the necessity of informing all officials and workers who hold American and British citizenship of their preparation to leave the country within a maximum period of 30 days from the date of this determination so they will be ready to leave immediately upon the expiration of the period referred to, and the ministry will be sure to inform you via a ministerial letter 24 hours before departure.”

The letter also specifies that humanitarian organizations must not recruit any employees with dual nationalities during this period.

The United States and the United Kingdom executed additional joint airstrikes targeting the Houthis in Yemen on Monday. This action is in retaliation for the Houthi group’s attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea. The White House has now launched a total of 8 strikes against the Houthis.

Since November, the Houthis have instigated 30 attacks on commercial shipping lanes. Despite the Houthis claiming the attacks are in protest of the war in Gaza, US officials note that many of the targeted ships are unrelated to the conflict in Israel.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the United Kingdom “will not hesitate to respond again in self-defense. We cannot stand by and allow these attacks to go unchallenged.”

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement the latest round of strikes against the Houthis was in “self-defense” and would “deal another blow to their limited stockpiles and ability to threaten global trade.”

President Biden and Prime Minister Sunak spoke on the phone Monday, according to the White House. They discussed ongoing Iranian-backed Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, reiterating their commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending mariners from “illegal and unjustifiable” attacks.