On 14 March 2025, armed clashes erupted between Sufyan tribe and Al Hamad tribe at the customs checkpoint in Harf Sufyan district (coded to district center Al Harf) (Amran). The reason behind the clashes was the killing of a tribal sheikh a day before (coded as a separate event). Casualties unknown.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing

1. Summary

On March 14, 2025, an armed conflict broke out between the Sufyan tribe and the Al-Hamad tribe at a customs checkpoint in the Harf Sufyan district of Amran Governorate, Yemen. This clash, apparently triggered by the killing of a tribal leader the previous day, occurred at an important customs clearance point and could potentially impact regional logistics flows. The extent of damage is currently unconfirmed.

2. Supply-chain impact

• Land transport route disruption: Harf Sufyan district is located on major overland transport routes in northern Yemen, and clashes near the customs checkpoint could cause temporary delays in cargo transport and customs clearance operations
• Regional fuel and food supplies: If tribal conflicts spread, concerns over instability in fuel and essential goods distribution networks within Amran Governorate
• Instability in Houthi-controlled areas: As the area is under Houthi rebel control, prolonged conflict could increase the complexity of the Yemeni civil war and potentially worsen the overall logistics environment
• Regional spillover: If tribal conflicts spread to nearby major cities in Sanaa and Saada, negative impact on supply-chain stability across northern Yemen

3. Watch points

• Conflict escalation: Need to monitor potential additional clashes between Sufyan-Al Hamad tribes and possible intervention by neighboring tribes
• Customs operations normalization: Tracking required for resumption timing of Harf Sufyan customs checkpoint operations and level of customs processing capacity recovery