How the Houthi conflict is affecting countries on Africa's Red Sea coast — and beyond

In September, one of the major conflicts in the Middle East came within sight of Africa, as Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured Yemen's Perim Island. The island forms the narrowest point of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait which connects the southern entrance of the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. It is roughly 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Djibouti and 20-minutes by air to Ethiopia . In early October, Yemen's Armed Forces and their Saudi allies launched a counteroffensive. The Iran -backed Houthis have been firing on merchant ships since the start of the Gaza war in 2023. African economies are already suffering from crisis in the Strait of Hormuz , which is making fuel and fertilizer in particular scarce and more expensive.