Vue lecture

Why Mokha, Historic Port That Shaped the Coffee Trade, Is a Prize in Yemen’s War

A strategic location on the Red Sea afforded the city centuries of trading dominance — and makes it a coveted target in today’s fighting in the Middle East.

© Khaled Abdullah/Reuters

Coffee farmers spreading fermented coffee cherries on drying beds in Haraz, Yemen, in 2025. The port city of Mokha rose to prominence through the Yemeni coffee trade.
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