Besieged cities, broken supply routes: Can Yemen hold its ground against Houthis

Yemen’s government forces are trying to push back Houthi rebels, but a string of battlefield setbacks is raising a critical question: can they sustain the offensive before their own weaknesses derail it?According to an analysis published by Al Jazeera, the government is grappling with disrupted supply routes, the loss of strategic territory and difficulties coordinating rival military factions.Houthi advances have cut the main road linking Taiz to Aden and disrupted alternative mountain routes, leaving Taiz effectively besieged. The loss of the strategic Red Sea port of Mocha has further complicated the government's military position, while rising fuel prices in Taiz underscore the growing logistical strain on government-held areas.Colonel Wadah al-Dubaish, spokesperson for the government-aligned Joint Forces on Yemen’s West Coast, told Al Jazeera that Houthi attempts to cut supply routes had failed to stop the flow of essential supplies.“The Houthi group consistently attempts to sever supply lines to government forces, but they have been unable to halt these supplies. So, military operations against the Houthis will continue,” al-Dubaish told Al Jazeera.Al Jazeera reported that the challenges extend beyond supply disruptions and territorial losses, with the government also relying heavily on Saudi military support to sustain its campaign.

Saudi air strikes have helped target Houthi positions and disrupt reinforcements, but air power alone cannot secure supply routes or guarantee that territory captured by government forces will remain under their control.Yemen’s government forces are also struggling to overcome divisions within their own ranks, with rival factions operating under different command structures complicating efforts to mount a coordinated offensive.

These divisions contributed to the failure of anti-Houthi forces to respond quickly to the rebels’ advances along the Red Sea coast in September.Yemen’s deputy justice minister Faisal al-Majidi said that coordination between forces on the ground would be a decisive test for the campaign.“The coordination among various field forces … remains the true litmus test for the success of the Dawn of Yemen operation,” al-Majidi told Al Jazeera.The situation remains fluid, with Yemen’s government forces continuing operations on multiple fronts despite mounting logistical and military challenges.For Yemen’s government, the immediate challenge is to reopen supply routes, protect frontline positions and improve coordination among allied forces while maintaining Saudi support.The offensive has not been decisively defeated, but its ability to deliver lasting gains will depend on whether the government can overcome the logistical and command problems now threatening its campaign.