Hodeidah

Hodeidah, also spelled Al-Hudaydah, is a city in western Yemen located on the Red Sea coast. It is the capital of Hodeidah Governorate and serves as a major commercial and transportation hub for the country.

The Port of Hodeidah is Yemen’s principal port on the Red Sea and handles a large share of imports and humanitarian aid. The city supports fishing and trade and acts as a gateway for goods entering and leaving Yemen. The port complex remains a key economic and logistical asset for the region.

Historically, Hodeidah developed as a trading settlement along the Red Sea and has long functioned as a coastal gateway. The old town and surrounding markets reflect traditional Yemeni urban patterns and architecture.

Since 2014, the city has been affected by the Yemeni civil war, with periodic fighting and blockades around the port that disrupted supplies. In December 2018, the United Nations brokered the Stockholm Agreement to reduce hostilities around Hodeidah and to facilitate safe passage for humanitarian aid, while keeping port operations under international monitoring.

Demographics and administration: The city is a densely populated urban center with residents from various communities along the coast. It hosts governorate-level administrative offices and services and functions as a commercial and service center for western Yemen.