Sanaa, Yemen – Mukhtar Ahmed was riding a bike in the Aljraf region of northern Sanaa when the ground trembled beneath him. A thunderous explosion echoed through the air, with a horrifying cry of yells.
It was Saturday right after the sun was when people were at home for Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan
“I got off my bike and darted towards the alley and I thought it would be impossible to survive,” the 26-year-old restaurant delivery courier told Al Jazeera. “The pure fear of those explosions can kill you.”
Mukhtar didn’t know why it caused the deafening roaring sounds in Yemen’s densely populated capital. However, he later realized that the US was bombing Yemen.
The waves of American airstrikes have killed more than 50 people.
The bomb slammed near the political office of the Hooty Rebel Group (officially known as Ansal Allah), the de facto ruler of Yemen’s populous northwest.
It marked the beginning of an ongoing US bombing campaign that could lead to a new phase of war and instability in Yemen.
Who can stop the US?
On March 7, a week before the US strike began, the Houtis gave Israel a four-day deadline to lift the lockdown on humanitarian entry into the Gaza Strip. Otherwise, Yemeni groups have pledged to re-assess the Palestinians of Gaza to resume attacks on Israel-related ships in the Red Sea.
These attacks stopped when the broken Gaza ceasefire began in January, but for the previous 15 months, the Houtis paralyzed the ship in one of the world’s most important waterways and fired projectiles at Israel.
The UK and the US have launched hundreds of air attacks on weapons depots, missile launch pads, airports and more about what is reportedly targeted by Houthi. Israel also attacked Yemen.
The ostensible purpose of these attacks was to “deteriorate” the military capabilities of the Houtis, which allied with Iran.
However, the updated US attacks have hit residential areas believed to be home to senior Hooty members, and have little respect for civilian life.
Secondly, Houthis was not carrying out an attack despite the threat.
With this change under President Donald Trump, the fear of war, shortage and evacuation has plagued the civilians of Yemeni, enduring years of hardship since the beginning of the country’s civil war between Hausis and the Saudi-recognized UN government in 2014.
The ground conflict in Yemen has largely frozen between Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which have been involved in negotiations since 2022. But these consultations have done little to end the humanitarian crisis in a country where millions of people are starving.
Many Yemenis believe things will get worse now. It’s a fear reinforced by Trump’s rhetoric.
“Hell will rain over you like something you’ve never seen before,” the US president said in a threat to the Hoosis.
And for Mukhtar, he fears that Gaza has set a precedent for how a bombing campaign will take place in the region.
“The United States is like Israel, Hamas is like Houtis,” Mukhtar said.
Fear of chaos
On the bustling streets of Maen in western Sanaa, Faisal Mohammed carried a blue sack filled with new clothes for five children he purchased in the Eid al-Fitr holiday preparations, which are expected to fall on March 30th.
However, Faisal, 38, says Eid will be cast a shadow by the US attacks. He is afraid of what will come.
“Americans aim to kill Hooty officials who run Sana and other states,” he said. “I’ll kill you [Houthi] Leadership will cause confusion and this will hurt us. ”
Houthis ruled Sana in September 2014. Since then, the group has been firmly embedded and proven themselves on the battlefield.
But as the US strengthens its attack on Yemen, the Houtis rivals may see the tide turn into their favor — and it worries faisal.
“The pro-government forces may have begun pushing towards the states controlled by Hooty,” Faisal said. “This means an additional cycle of total civil war and misery.”
Faisal considered moving away from Sanaa to a safer area.
“Houthis will not surrender and their Yemeni rivals will not retreat if they are supported by the US,” Faisal said. “That’s miserable.”
Prices and explosions
In Bani Husheesh, on the northeastern outskirts of Sanaa, Ali Abdullah filled the gas cylinder at a cooking gas station, but he had no intention of using it. He was wearing stockings in anticipation of a potential price increase.
“We fear a sudden price rise. They are ugly companions of the war,” the 48-year-old told Al Jazeera.
Even before the updated US bombing, Washington’s actions put Yemen, particularly the areas controlled by its Hooty, in a precarious position.
In January, Trump redesigned the Houtis as a “foreign terrorist organization” (FTO) over transport in the Red Sea and attacks on Israel.
“FTOs will narrow down a bigger economy, limit access to international funding, making it difficult for traders to acquire credit and insurance letters to import everything from food, fuel to household goods and more.”
Rebellious
Houthis has been on a long-standing bombing campaign and was motivated by the ultimate victory belief, but is unlikely to retreat, at least in the short term.
Supporters of the group gathered in Sanaa on Monday, ignoring the US. Many of them wore firearms around.
Mohammed is a fighter from Houthi who wanted to give him only his first name, and said the US bombing in Yemen proves that the US is a “habitual invader.”
“Americans are trying to threaten us and humiliate us, but that’s not happening,” he said.
“We weren’t born to live forever,” he added. “We will certainly die. It’s better to die with honor. Honor is to face rog-harmed attackers like the United States.”
Anti-US sentiment has skyrocketed in Yemen over the past few months. American support for Israel’s war on Gaza and aviation attacks in Yemeni cities have promoted responsiveness.
Houthi’s leadership remains rebellious. Houthi Abdel-Malik Al-Houthi warned in a speech aired on Sunday that the US attacks would only lead to more violence.
“We stand up to escalation with escalation,” he said.
That rhetoric is fearful of many coming to Sanaa.
Mukhtar is still troubled by what he saw on Saturday. He wondered loudly what happened to the civilians who were killed when the bomb was attacked. “They must have turned to ashes,” he replied, worried that this was what the future would bring.
“Houthis is stubborn and Trump is impulsive,” Mukhtar said. “The outcome will be devastating – death, injuries, food and fuel shortages, merciless fear.
“Today we are desperate for peace. There is nothing else.”
