EU warns of economic fallout as Houthis press advance on Bab al-Mandab

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that Houthi control of Yemen's western coast risks closing the Bab al-Mandab strait, as fighting continues in the area.

• Kallas, addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, warned of severe economic repercussions from a possible closure of the Bab al-Mandab strait.
• Kallas said Houthis have expanded control along the vital Yemeni coast, urging the EU to strengthen its Aspides defensive naval operation.
• Yemeni Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba said authorities were monitoring developments on the western coast and Bab al-Mandab after recent Houthi escalation.
• Battles continued between government forces and Houthis around Bab al-Mandab, and a mass funeral was held in Sanaa for Houthi military officers.
• Houthi militants captured the port of Mocha and nearby islands along the Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab strait, displacing over 100,000 people.
• The UN's OCHA said at least 125,000 people have been displaced since September, with families fleeing coastal plains and hills toward Taiz.
• Save the Children reported at least 19 children killed since August, with weekly child casualties now at their highest in a year.
• Yemen's executive unit for managing displaced camps said 17,852 families (122,297 people) were displaced across eight governorates between September 1 and 15, with Taiz recording the largest number.
• UNICEF warned the renewed escalation is deepening the crisis for over 12 million children, reporting at least nine children killed since September 3.