The news about record-breaking revenue by the Houthis from allegedly illegal transit fees in the Red Sea in a report published by a UN commission of experts is apparently unfounded.
According to the report, Yemeni rebels have allegedly earned $180 million a month, about $2 billion a year, by extorting payments from shipowners in exchange for the right to sail risk-free. However, according to the Houthis. this is all completely false.
It was the director of the Houthi Operations Coordination Centre, which monitors Red Sea transits, who denied the news directly in a statement published by Lloyd’s List.
Interviewed by the well-known shipping journal, the Houthi official pointed out that by the UN committee of scholars’ own admission, the information published in the report had not been verified by independent sources. Another important element is the fact that the Houthis only target Israeli ships or ships linked to Israeli interests.
“Rumours that shipping companies pay ‘illegal fees’ for safe maritime transit are fabricated, with no basis in reality,” said the representative of the Shia group.
Translation by Giles Foster
