COPENHAGEN: The Gaza ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas under a US-brokered plan has raised hopes that Yemen’s Houthi forces may ease attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, a development that could stabilize a key regional trade route.
The Houthis, who have claimed responsibility for attacks on vessels since late 2023, have not yet commented on the ceasefire or signaled a change in policy. Their campaign has forced ships to reroute around the southern tip of Africa, disrupting global supply chains and drawing international naval responses.
Shares of Danish shipping giant Maersk fell two percent in Copenhagen on Thursday, reflecting investor expectations that safer passage through the Red Sea could eventually restore capacity and reduce freight rates. Analysts cautioned, however, that shipping companies would likely wait months for assurances that attacks would not resume.
Diplomats and analysts said the ceasefire in Gaza could have broader geopolitical implications, potentially easing tensions in the region and fostering conditions for the eventual normalization of maritime security in the Red Sea corridor.
Ceasefire in Gaza raises hopes of Houthi pause in Red Sea attacks
https://arab.news/nr6uw
Ceasefire in Gaza raises hopes of Houthi pause in Red Sea attacks
- The Houthis, who have claimed responsibility for attacks on vessels since late 2023, have not yet commented on the ceasefire or signaled a change in policy
UN alarm at escalating drone attacks, worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s North Kordofan and Darfur
- El-Obeid, a strategically vital hub linking Khartoum with Darfur region, remains under siege as Rapid Support Forces seeks to consolidate control over critical corridor
- Number of displaced people sheltering near town of Tawila has grown to 715,000 since RSF attacks on El-Fasher began to intensify last year, says UN spokesperson
NEW YORK CITY: The UN on Tuesday expressed alarm over continuing drone attacks in North Kordofan state, warning that the violence and worsening humanitarian conditions are compounding civilian suffering across Sudan.
El-Obeid, the capital of the state, has experienced a series of intense attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, marked by frequent drone strikes targeting key infrastructure across the city.
Government and other public buildings, including the headquarters of the Legislative Council, a police facility, a telecommunications company and a hospital, have sustained significant damage. Last month, drone attacks targeted the city’s power supply and residential neighborhoods, resulting in civilian casualties, including children.
El-Obeid, a strategically vital hub linking Khartoum with Darfur region, remains under siege as the Rapid Support Forces, which has been engaged in a civil war with the Sudanese Armed Forces since April 2023, seeks to consolidate its control over this critical corridor. Since beginning of this month there have been near-daily drone assaults on the city and surrounding areas, including parts of North Kordofan State.
“We continue to be very concerned by the deteriorating humanitarian situation, notably in North Darfur state, and by reports of continuing drone attacks in North Kordofan state,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.
Drone attacks targeted El-Obeid for at least three consecutive days beginning on Feb. 20. One strike hit the University of Kordofan’s campus in the city on Monday, causing significant structural damage.
In North Darfur, escalating violence in the area around the border town of Tine has forced civilians to flee into neighboring Chad, Dujarric said, and is constraining humanitarian access.
Humanitarian movements through the Adre border crossing nevertheless are continuing and UN aid officials are maintaining close contact with the governments of Chad and Sudan to ensure the safe and efficient passage of supplies and personnel, as the Adre crossing remains indispensable for humanitarian operations in Darfur, the UN said.
Elsewhere in North Darfur, the area around the town of Tawila has become one of the region’s largest and fastest-growing displacement hubs, Dujarric said. It is hosting more than 715,000 people displaced by attacks last year on El-Fasher and nearby camps. Prior to this mass influx, Tawila’s population was estimated at about 40,000. Now more than half a million displaced people are sheltering at four major sites just outside the town.
The UN’s Children’s Fund has found that more than half of the people in North Darfur are not receiving the minimum daily water requirement for survival, which is set by the World Health Organization at 7.5 liters per person per day. More than 40 percent of latrines are non-functional, more than 80 percent of families lack soap, and only 8 percent of women and girls reported having access to sufficient menstrual hygiene supplies.
Humanitarian agencies are calling for rapid funding, as well as safe and unhindered access for the delivery of aid and the scaling up water and sanitation services in Tawila to prevent further deterioration of the public health conditions there.
The UN’s 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan is seeking $2.9 billion in funding to assist more than 20 million people nationwide.
