RT’s Oumaima Ichchar examines the manpower, weapons, and resources the Houthis and their rivals could bring to a renewed fight
Yemen’s internationally recognized government has vowed to retake territory held by the Houthis, raising the prospect of a new phase in a conflict that has ravaged the country for more than a decade.
The Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) has ordered its armed forces and security formations to begin implementing plans “until the country is liberated from the grip of terrorist militias,” while also calling for a general mobilization.
But the balance of power is more complicated than the lines on the map suggest, RT’s Oumaima Ichchar reports.
“The government may control more of Yemen on the map, but it is the Houthis who control most of its people,” she said. The PLC is estimated to hold around 60.4% of Yemen’s territory, while the Houthis control about 22.8%, including the capital Sanaa and some of the country’s most densely populated areas.
The Houthis are estimated to have around 350,000 fighters, while estimates for the fragmented PLC forces range from 40,000 to 250,000. But, as Ichchar notes, “even hundreds of thousands of fighters mean little if you can’t properly arm or supply them.”
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