Captains email Houthis for Red Sea transit permits

On the bridge of a Chinese containership threading the Bab al-Mandab in early November, the captain had one unusual item on his checklist: an email to Houthi rebels.

The message went to the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), a body the Houthis established in early 2024 to manage transit requests through the southern Red Sea. Ship operators state their schedules, declare they have no ties to the United States, the United Kingdom, or Israel, and commit to following international collision-avoidance rules. Within 24 hours, an approval typically arrives: a seven-day clearance window for the passage. The Chinese vessel was told to keep its AIS transponder and VHF Channel 16 active throughout.

The system has been in use since the Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in July, and ship operators are quietly using it despite official guidance to avoid engagement. International maritime authorities advise vessels not to register with or contact the HOCC. One captain described reaching out as a practical precaution, an extra layer of assurance in a strait where few safe routes remain.

Shipping through the southern Red Sea remains well below pre-conflict levels. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd only recently announced plans to return their ME1 route to the Suez Canal after months of avoiding it. Meanwhile, Turkish-flagged vessels have been placed at the highest maritime security level across fourteen areas, including the Red Sea. The HOCC email does not eliminate the threat. It tells the Houthis who you are and where you are going.