Sri Lankans in Yemen fear ‘being caught in the crossfire’ as Colombo plans to join US-led attacks on Houthis

Sri Lankans are concerned their lives ‘may be threatened’ and help will not be readily available in an emergency as the country does not have a mission in Yemen

Colombo’s move to join the US operation signals its attempt at a ‘balancing act’ rather than a change in support for the Palestinian cause, one analyst says

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Houthi fighters brandish their weapons during a protest following US and British forces strikes, in Sanaa, Yemen, on January 12. Photo: TNS

Published: 9:00am, 18 Jan 2024Updated: 11:38am, 18 Jan 2024

Isuru Alagiyawanna, 32, arrived in Yemen just six months ago in search of a better life away from the debilitating economic crisis of his native Sri Lanka. But as Colombo plans to join the US-led operations against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, he fears “being caught in the crossfire”.

Early this month, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that the country had decided to send a navy vessel to join the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian, aimed at securing commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea against Houthi attacks.

Following the escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict, the Houthis, which control the Yemeni capital Sanaa and the northwestern regions bordering the Red Sea, in November launched attacks on “Israel-linked” vessels sailing through the shipping lanes, which normally see hundreds of billions worth of cargo pass through them each year.

The bulk carrier Gibraltar Eagle is seen off Kristiansand, Norway, in June 2023. Houthi rebels fired a missile striking the US-owned ship on Monday. Photo: AP

Close to 30 vessels sailing through the Red Sea have been targeted since the Houthi attacks began. Last week, the United States and its allies began retaliating by launching air and sea strikes.

Sri Lankans like Alagiyawanna, who work in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, fear their safety will be at risk once the Sri Lankan vessel joins the coalition’s efforts.

“If word gets around among the locals that Sri Lanka is sending a ship to join the US forces to fight against the Houthis, there will be repercussions. When we go out to stores and mix with the local people, if word gets around that I am a Sri Lankan [it may lead to] issues,” he told This Week in Asia.

Alagiyawanna, who works for a shipping company, said “life and people were peaceful” before the Red Sea conflict. But he was worried that, in the absence of a Sri Lankan mission in Yemen, there would be no immediate help available in an emergency.