SANAA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Despite the apparent calm on the surface of Sanaa, Yemen's capital under Houthi control, concerns and uncertainties loom larger as tensions in the Red Sea reach a new height.
Airstrikes by the United States and Britain on Houthi targets in northern Yemen in response to the Houthi attacks on Israel-related vessels in the Red Sea have not disrupted the daily routines of the city's over 3 million residents. They still go about their business, except for the frequent large Houthi-organized protests to support the Palestinians, which have become a common sight in the central part of the city.
But behind the facade of normalcy, anxieties and fears grip the largest city in Yemen.
As the sun sets over Sanaa, Jalal al-Husbani, an unemployed lawyer, walks along the dusty streets adorned with Palestinian flags and Houthi anti-Israel banners, looking for a place to buy some bread for his family.
Al-Husbani is keenly aware of the heightened tensions in the Red Sea. He worries that the clashes with the U.S.-led coalition and Washington's re-designation of the Houthi group as a "terrorist" organization on Wednesday may exacerbate the food shortage that has already long plagued the city.
He is concerned about the potential impact on the Houthi-held port of Hodeidah, which serves as a vital entry point for food, medicine, and humanitarian aid from UN organizations.
"We have been already suffering from the blockade for years," al-Husbani told Xinhua. "If the escalation in the Red Sea leads to the closure of the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the port of Hodeidah, the humanitarian disaster, which is already in Yemen, will get worse," he lamented.
"This could drive Yemen to hunger again," he added.
The Houthi attacks on the Red Sea have also drawn condemnation from the UN and other international organizations, who have warned of the attacks' dire consequences for the humanitarian situation in Yemen, which is already the world's worst.
Mutahar Ali, a retired army officer, echoed al-Husbani's concerns. He said the targeting of shipping lines in the Red Sea and the U.S. retaliatory strikes on Yemen increased the fears of the possibility of closing the port of Hodeidah as a result of the escalation.
"Sure, we have been suffering from not being paid our salaries for nearly eight years," the retired officer said, adding, "And we are afraid that this escalation in the Red Sea could lead to a major hunger."
However, not everyone in Sanaa shares the same view. Ali's son, Ali Mutahar, who now works at a tile factory, said he supported the Houthi attacks on the shipping line in the Red Sea as a way of pressuring Israel to end the attacks and siege on Gaza.
"I don't condone it (attacks on ships)," he clarified, "but I understand. Our brothers in Gaza, they're suffering. We have to stand with them."
Yet, even Mutahar's optimism is tinged with uncertainty. "The authorities, they say they're prepared... but can anyone truly be prepared for the repercussions of this escalation?"
