Somalis rethink trade routes as regional tensions impact established channels

Somali businesses are seeking alternative shipping routes due to disruptions and security concerns around the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Strait of Hormuz after Iran-backed Houthis captured a key port city and an island, sending thousands of Yemenis fleeing to neighboring Djibouti. Somali businesses have traditionally brought goods from Asia through Gulf countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, before shipping them to Somalia.

Now, some are trying a more direct approach. More than 2,000 people have reached Djibouti, which neighbors Somalia, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Read the original report at Apnews.