Back on the brink of war

A file photo of a home destroyed by an airstrike in Sana, Yemen. The Houthi militia in Yemen, strategically located at the southwestern tip of the Arabian peninsula, has propelled itself into an unlikely global spotlight in recent weeks as it has sown chaos in the Red Sea, attacking commercial ships and hobbling global trade. — ©2024 The New York Times Company

THE explosions woke Ali Al-Sunaidar and his children in the middle of the night – a familiar feeling after years of war.

He knew that the ancient mud-brick buildings in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, could collapse under the pressure released by bombings, so he opened the windows in his home, letting in the winter air.