UN: Renewed Yemen Fighting Displaces at Least 150,000

At least 150,000 people have been forced from their homes in Yemen amid renewed fighting that has killed hundreds, the United Nations says.

The escalation involves Houthi fighters and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. In recent weeks, the Houthis have rapidly advanced along Yemen’s western coast toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to reports on the conflict.

The latest displacement adds to a long-running humanitarian crisis in a country affected by more than a decade of conflict and economic collapse. More than 5.2 million people were already internally displaced inside Yemen before the recent escalation.

Families flee Hays

Displaced residents from Hays have been living in tents with their children while registering for and receiving assistance from humanitarian organizations.

One displaced man, identified as Abu Walid, said he left his home after an attack and did not disclose his real name because of concerns for his family’s safety.

“We came under attack by the Houthis at around 6pm., and we left our home with nothing but the clothes we were wearing,” he said.

Abu Walid said the children and their mother did not understand what was happening when he told them they had to leave. He also said Houthi militias had taken control of Hays and described shelling and bombardment in the area. Those claims were not independently verified in the report.

An unnamed woman displaced from Hays said she fled with her children after a mortar shell was fired at them.

“I don’t know where we are going or where to turn. We are now displaced and have no identity cards, no passports, nothing,” she said.

She said her children were no longer attending school and appealed for assistance from humanitarian organizations, including homes, schools and hospitals.

Humanitarian access under pressure

The United Nations Population Fund’s rapid response mechanism has been distributing everyday household items and supporting women, families and children during their first five days after displacement.

However, reaching people in areas affected by very low security has become increasingly difficult, according to Francesco Gualtieri, the UNFPA representative in Yemen.

“They are hard to reach, access has become very difficult for the authorities, for service providers, for the humanitarian organisations,” Gualtieri said.

The United Nations has not provided an exact death toll, reporting only that hundreds of people have been killed in the renewed fighting. The timing of the escalation and the Houthi advance was also described only as occurring in recent weeks.