Map Shows How Houthis Threaten Vital Global Shipping. Published Mar 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM EDT. By . ... By 2024, the Red Sea faced an unprecedented shipping crisis and a decline in traffic.

Ship traffic through the Red Sea is down by around three-fifths since 2023 when the Houthis started targeting ships there in solidarity with Hamas in its war with Israel in Gaza, Mr. Meade said.