112,000 Displaced in Yemen as Houthi Advance Intensifies Fighting

Thousands of Yemenis are fleeing their homes as fighting between the Iran-backed Houthi group and forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government intensifies, reopening a major front in the country’s long-running civil war.

The U.N. migration agency IOM said on Friday that at least 112,000 people had been displaced inside Yemen over the past two weeks, while nearly 3,000 others had crossed the Gulf of Aden to Djibouti in overcrowded boats.

Among those displaced is 48-year-old Rawya Hassan, who fled with her seven children after heavy shelling erupted around their camp in Taiz province. The family escaped barefoot, leaving behind livestock, clothes, blankets and other belongings.

“We had nothing with us — no covers, no mattresses, no food, no drink, nothing,” Hassan told Reuters, describing shells falling as warplanes or drones circled overhead.

Hassan’s family had already been displaced from their village of al-Tuweir about eight years ago and had sought refuge in a camp in the nearby al-Kadha district. The latest fighting has forced them to flee once again, leaving them dependent on humanitarian assistance at al-Bireen camp.

The renewed displacement followed a rapid Houthi advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. Reuters reported that the group seized the port city of Mocha and nearby southern coastal areas last week, prompting civilians to move toward government-held territory and, in some cases, across the sea to Djibouti.

Further south, families from Mocha have arrived at camps near Aden. At al-Firdaws camp, displaced residents have received basic supplies including thin mattresses, old blankets, food and water.

“We have suffered a lot,” said Um Mohammed, whose family fled Mocha after the Houthi advance. She said they had lost livestock and household possessions during their escape. Her son was also killed earlier in Yemen’s war.

The renewed fighting marks a sharp deterioration after a 2022 truce largely halted major hostilities between the Houthis and forces backed by Saudi Arabia. The conflict has now intensified amid the wider war between Iran and the United States.

The Houthis have used drones and ballistic missiles, while Saudi Arabia has carried out airstrikes against areas held by the Iran-backed group, according to Reuters.

With fighting spreading across several fronts, aid agencies are facing a growing humanitarian challenge as newly displaced families arrive at camps with few possessions and little certainty about where they can safely go next.

Source: Reuters, citing the U.N. International Organization for Migration (IOM).