There are fears that world trade could be disrupted after major shipping companies diverted their voyages from the Red Sea.  Attacks by the Houthi rebels in yamen on merchant shippa in recent weeks have caused  many to divert from the busiest shipping route 

The Houthi announced their support for Hamas and said they were targeting ships bound for Israel.Al thougt it was not clear whether all the ships attacked were bound for Israel.  

What Happened 

The Houthis have been increasing their attacks since actober when the war between Israel and Hamas began 

The Iran backed group has been attacking cargo ships with drones and missiles along the Babul-Mandab strait a 20 mile wide corridor between Ereteriaand Djibouti on the southern side of the strait and yamen on the northern side. Place the passage is mostly used by shipps coming from the south to reach the Suez Canal However as there have been attacks on shipps and others are feared. Companies such as maersk have deverted their shipps

Why is this passage important?

Every ship passing through the Suez Canal on its way to the Indian Ocean must pass through the Babylon Mandab and the Red Sea. About 17,000 ships and 10-12% of the world's trade pass through this channel every year.

The Suez Canal is the fastest route between Asia and Europe, and is important for shipping such as oil and gas.

About nine million barrels passed through the Suez Canal every day in the first six months of this year, according to Vortexa.

S&P Global Market Intelligence analysts say that approximately 15% of goods entering Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa come from Asia and the Gulf by sea.

It comprises 21.5% of refined oil and more than 13% of crude oil.

But it's not just oil. Containers containing consumer goods such as clothes, shoes and TVs are also sent there.

The impact it will have. 

There is no evidence that it will affect world trade, as ships have been diverted from the Red Sea, but the products that people use will have the biggest impact, according to Chris Rogers of S&P Global Market Intelligence.

One of the things that can be expected is that there will be a delay in the product reaching the stores as it will take ten more days, according to reports from the Cape of Good Hope.

That distance costs companies more as it takes ships an extra 3,500 nautical miles.

The increase in the additional price reached 4% last week, and this price is passed on from traders to consumers. It is also feared that oil prices will skyrocket.

The answer was given

These attacks led the United States to launch an international operation to save ships using the Red Sea, and countries such as the UK, Canada, France, Bahrain, Norway and Spain joined.

United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who held a meeting with ministers from 40 countries, called for more countries to participate in efforts to ensure the safety of shipping lanes in the region