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What is the Bab al-Mandab?
The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It is a critical shipping lane, particularly for oil and gas. Its strategic importance means that instability in surrounding regions, like the conflict in Yemen, can have significant global repercussions, affecting trade and leading to humanitarian crises as seen with the Yemeni refugees.
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