Houthi militias have incurred heavy losses in Marib, prompting the militia leaders to mobilize new fighters to compensate for the shortage on battlefronts.
Military media of the Yemeni army had reported earlier that the Houthi militia lost more than 10,000 men since last January on various fronts, especially in Marib, which the group has been desperate to control to no avail.
Since the beginning of this year, the Yemeni army and the popular resistance have managed to thwart more than 300 Houthi attacks on various fronts.
Well-informed sources in Sanaa told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group's efforts to mobilize recruits were unsuccessful in Sanaa and the tribal areas.
In the past few days, several reports stated that dozens of Houthi recruits left the battlefronts in Marib and al-Jawf after a dispute over financial allocations and low food supplies.
Meanwhile, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Houthi leader Khaled al-Madani, who is close to the group leader and directly responsible for the local authority in the capital, intensified his movements to mobilize recruits, especially in schools, mosques, and government departments.
Madani held several meetings in various city directorates and neighborhoods, including one with the capital's mayor, Hammoud Abbad, to discuss mobilization efforts.
Houthi's Saba news agency reported that the meeting, which included the group's supervisors in the directorates, touched on the priorities for following up on the mobilization plan and strengthening the steadfastness and cohesion of the home front.
Informed sources had previously told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group's leaders in the tribal, rural districts surrounding Sanaa held several meetings with notables and tribal leaders to urge them to push recruits to Marib.
The Houthi media admitted that several recruitment campaigns had been launched, and extensive meetings were held in the directorates of Sanaa, which discussed mechanisms for strengthening mobilization efforts on the fronts.
Meanwhile, during the latest briefing to the UN Security Council, Assistant Secretary-General at the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Peace Operations, Mohamed Khiari, said that no progress had been made in the UN efforts to reach an agreement based on the four-point plan.
The plan includes a nationwide ceasefire, the re-opening of Sanaa airport, the easing of restrictions on the flow of fuel and other commodities through Hodeidah port, and the resumption of face-to-face political negotiations between the Yemeni parties, he said.
Khiari called on all parties to prioritize civilian needs and abstain from weaponizing the economy, particularly in light of the critical humanitarian situation in the country.
The new UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, is scheduled to officially begin his work in the coming few days, and resume the efforts made by his predecessor, Martin Griffiths, to bring peace and persuade the Houthis to end the war.
