Since the conflict in Yemen re-ignited in August, at least 290,000 individuals have been forced to flee their homes, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The escalation, characterized by intensified clashes between government-aligned forces and Houthi rebels, has disproportionately impacted the Taiz governorate and various coastal regions, resulting in thousands of fatalities. The war intensified when a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened to support government-aligned forces in March 2015.
The humanitarian situation is increasingly dire for the most vulnerable. OCHA data indicates that 65,000 refugees and asylum seekers currently residing in the country are facing a rapidly deteriorating environment as service infrastructure collapses and costs for food and fuel continue to climb. Among the recently displaced, there are 6,100 pregnant women, 600 of whom are expected to deliver within the next two weeks. An OCHA report published Friday warned that 65,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Yemen face a rapidly deteriorating situation, with services disrupted and food and fuel prices rapidly rising.
International aid organizations have deployed mobile teams and midwives to assist those in displacement camps. To date, support including food, hygiene supplies, and emergency financial assistance has reached approximately 249,000 individuals, representing roughly 75 percent of the displaced population.
Violence has also spilled across borders. On Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting a drone near the Riyadh region. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki stated that authorities are investigating the incident, noting that no casualties were recorded. This followed reports on Friday of further drone activity near Mecca, Medina, and Riyadh, alongside a missile strike aimed at the kingdom’s southern territory. According to “The relevant authorities are continuing to inspect the site,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki wrote in a post on X, but, No casualties had been reported. It is the second interception over the Riyadh region in as many days. According to the agency, A woman was shot dead, while the injuries came from shelling and gunfire.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree has denied these allegations, dismissing claims of drone launches toward Saudi territory as egregious lies. While the group continues to deny targeting holy cities, it has previously claimed responsibility for various strikes against Saudi infrastructure and airports.
Domestically, the conflict has seen a surge in high-profile attacks.
Government officials announced that Houthi forces targeted the Maashiq presidential palace in Aden and the nearby international airport with ballistic missiles. Which had reopened on Thursday after a brief closure for repairs following an earlier Houthi attack, they also fired missiles at Aden International airport. Calling the airport strike “a direct attack on the interest of citizens” and accusing the group of seeking to disrupt “legitimate institutions” by striking the palace, the cabinet of Yemen’s internationally recognised government denounced the attacks.
Both locations have been frequent targets in recent weeks.
In response, government military spokesperson Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili reported the neutralization of approximately 336 Houthi fighters and the destruction of 112 pieces of military equipment during operations across Marib, al-Jawf, al-Bayda, and Taiz. Warplanes, drones, artillery and rocket launchers targeted the group’s command centres, troop concentrations and supply routes on fronts including Taiz, Marib, al-Jawf and al-Bayda, he said.
The toll on civilians remains heavy. Since August, the UN has verified 270 civilian casualties, with 68 people killed, half of whom were children. Separately, the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms recorded thousands of violations in Taiz between September 1 and October 29, including 189 civilian deaths and over 300 instances of abduction or enforced disappearance. The most lethal attack on Saudi soil in more than a decade, the Houthis’ attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on October 10 killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300. According to the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms, Its field team in Taiz province has recorded thousands of Houthi violations between September 1 and October 29, with at least 189 civilians killed, including 38 children an. According to the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms, Its field team in Taiz province has recorded thousands of Houthi violations between September 1 and October 29, with at least 189 civilians killed, including 38 children and 27 women. According to the group, It recorded 23 field executions and more than 300 abductions or enforced disappearances. Since then, the Houthis have launched a sweeping offensive on Yemen’s coast, giving them control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
The ongoing fighting has effectively cut off essential supply lines to two million people, blocking access to water, medicine, and fuel. The city of Taiz, a focal point of the civil war since it began in September 2014, remains heavily contested. Following the capture of southern territories like al-Turbah this month, Houthi forces have tightened their perimeter around the city. When Houthi forces captured the capital Sanaa, forcing the government south, yemen’s war broke out in September 2014.
As the conflict enters this new phase, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud discussed the crisis with international counterparts at a G20 meeting in Atlanta, joining Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand in a formal condemnation of the cross-border attacks.
