Yemen parliament approves general mobilisation against Houthis

Middle East

SANAA, Yemen (NPA) — Yemen’s internationally recognised government has moved to mobilise the population against the Houthis after the group made significant territorial gains along the country’s western coast.

The Yemeni House of Representatives on Monday, September 28, approved a request by President of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi to declare a general mobilisation in response to the escalation by the Houthis.

The decision followed a nationwide call to arms by al-Alimi on September 25, when he urged Yemenis to rally around the armed and security forces and join their ranks through official channels.

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He also offered a pathway for Houthi members who abandon the group and stop fighting or working for it to return safely to the government side, with an amnesty to be issued in accordance with constitutional and legal procedures.

The parliamentary decision came amid intensified fighting in Yemen, particularly in Taiz and along the western Red Sea coast. Recent Houthi advances have included the capture of Mocha and Mayyun Island, strengthening the group’s position around the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The government has said the mobilisation is intended to counter the Houthi escalation, protect civilians, defend the republican system and constitutional legitimacy, and safeguard Yemen’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The renewed fighting follows the collapse of a period of relative calm under a 2022 truce. Recent clashes have also displaced more than 130,000 people, according to a report by The Guardian.

The conflict has also heightened concerns over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a major maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have expanded attacks and declared a blockade targeting Saudi shipping, while Saudi Arabia has continued to support Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, emerged from Yemen’s Zaidi Shia community and took control of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. The group has since remained a major actor in Yemen’s prolonged civil war and is widely reported to receive support from Iran, although Tehran denies directing the group.

The latest mobilisation marks a significant escalation in the government’s effort to rebuild its military position and counter the Houthis’ recent territorial advances.