Key Facts
- Start date
- 13 June 2018
- Operation codename
- Operation Golden Victory
- Port dependency
- Over 80% of Yemen's food and aid via Hudaydah port
- Children at risk (UN estimate)
- 300,000
- Ceasefire agreement
- Stockholm Agreement, December 2018
- Coalition withdrawal
- Pro-government forces withdrew in 2021
Strategic Narrative Overview
Coalition forces, spearheaded by the UAE, launched a ground and air assault on 13 June 2018, aiming to isolate Houthi positions without entering densely populated areas. The Houthis resisted and framed their defense as resistance to foreign invasion. The UN repeatedly warned of catastrophic humanitarian consequences as fighting threatened port operations. International pressure mounted throughout 2018, with multiple failed attempts to broker a ceasefire and transfer port management to UN oversight.
01 / The Origins
Al Hudaydah port served as the entry point for the vast majority of Yemen's food and humanitarian aid, but the Saudi-led coalition alleged it was also used to funnel weapons, funds, and ballistic missiles to Houthi forces. Seeking to cut off this alleged supply chain and recapture a strategically vital city, the UAE and Saudi Arabia launched a major combined offensive in June 2018 as part of the broader intervention begun in 2015.
03 / The Outcome
A ceasefire was declared in December 2018 under the Stockholm Agreement, requiring both sides to withdraw from Al Hudaydah, but the deal was never fully implemented. The Houthis refused to withdraw and were accused of repeated violations. Pro-government forces ultimately withdrew from the city in 2021, effectively ceding control of Al Hudaydah to the Houthis. The humanitarian situation in the port city and surrounding region worsened throughout the conflict.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.