Yemen

The cities of Marib and Taiz marked the 64th anniversary of the 26 September Revolution with official and popular events, as clashes took place between government forces and fighters from the Ansar Allah group. In a speech marking the occasion, Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi called for mobilisation and enlistment in the armed forces, and announced an amnesty for those who abandon fighting alongside the Houthis.

Military escalation in Yemen has forced tens of thousands of families to leave their areas, with displacement concentrated in Taiz, Lahj, Aden, Abyan and Hudaydah, while more than 3,000 people have reached Djibouti. UNICEF says the fighting has caused child casualties and disrupted schools and health facilities, amid rising acute malnutrition.

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi called for general mobilisation and urged people to join the armed forces and security services through official channels, announcing an opportunity to return for those who leave the Houthi group. He said those covered by the initiative would receive a comprehensive amnesty to be issued later in accordance with legal and constitutional procedures, alongside the regularisation of the status of army and security personnel.

The Ash-Shuqab front in Mount Saber, Taiz governorate, is seeing military movements and preparations amid fears of a new escalation between government forces and the Houthi group. Near the front lines, residents of Kahlan and Ash-Shuqab face a rough road that hampers the evacuation of patients and the transport of food, forcing them to fund its construction and repairs themselves.

Yemen’s Taiz governorate received more than 83,000 displaced people from over 11,000 families during September, amid deteriorating water, electricity and housing services and rising living costs. A local official called on international and regional organisations to provide shelter, food, medicine and education for the new arrivals.

Fighting continues in Taiz, Lahj and Marib, with government forces announcing that they had shot down a drone and thwarted an infiltration attempt near the Hijej al-Abd road. The escalation coincided with civilian deaths in Lahj and Shabwah, while the number of displaced people exceeded 134,000. The United Nations called for civilians to be protected and aid access to be facilitated.

In September, Marib received 412 families comprising 2,954 people who fled the military escalation on the western coast and elsewhere, amid shortages of shelter and declining aid. Women and children make up 78% of new arrivals in the governorate, which has cumulatively hosted more than 2,217,000 displaced people since 2014.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expects the number of people displaced within Yemen to rise from 130,000 to around 230,000 in the coming months, amid renewed fighting between government forces and the Houthis, while the number of refugees travelling by sea across the Red Sea to Djibouti is expected to increase to 10,000.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the Aspides mission to protect shipping in the Red Sea needs more than 10 warships, while it currently has six, amid escalating threats and growing complexities facing shipping in the region.

G7 foreign ministers called on Tehran to stop arming and supporting the Houthi group in Yemen, warning of the repercussions of escalation for the conflict, international trade and energy security. They also called on the Houthis to halt military actions and attacks on civilian vessels and return in good faith to the political process.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher warned that Yemen is nearing famine amid a rapid rise in humanitarian needs and worsening hunger levels. The warning comes as tens of thousands have been displaced and more than 2,000 Yemenis have crossed into Djibouti, while escalating clashes and a fuel crisis hinder civilian movement.

Fighting has intensified in the highlands stretching between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean coasts, as the Houthis seek to seize the area and Saudi air raids fail to drive the fighters out. Meanwhile, the group said it had attacked Riyadh for the first time since the escalation began, while The New York Times reported that Donald Trump cancelled air strikes that were being prepared.

The 12th anniversary of the Houthis’ takeover of Sana’a coincides with a military escalation along the western coast and in al-Bayda, al-Jawf and Ma’rib, as government officials speak of plans to advance towards the capital. The clashes follow four years of relative calm, amid changes to the map of control and the extension of attacks to Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea.

The Yemeni Armed Forces said air strikes on Sunday targeted Houthi personnel and equipment in Al Bayda governorate, destroying missile launchers, a communications system and weapons stores. The strikes came amid escalating fighting and government warnings of a threat to international shipping near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Yemen’s Executive Unit for Internally Displaced Persons Camp Management announced that more than 122,000 people had been displaced across eight governorates as a result of the military escalation. Camps in Marib have received arrivals from other areas, increasing pressure on displacement sites in the governorate, which hosts the largest concentration of displaced people among the areas covered by monitoring operations.

A Yemeni government body documented the displacement of 146,943 people across 8 governorates between 1 and 18 September, amid escalating fighting and growing risks to civilians. The government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees called for urgent assistance, as acute needs persist for shelter, food, water and healthcare.

In Yemen’s Taiz governorate, women-led and community initiatives have been active in collecting food, water, medicines and clothing and sending them to government forces, as renewed clashes with Ansar Allah have continued since early September. The efforts have included convoys to the al-Kadha front west of the governorate, as well as household initiatives and organised committees collecting donations and preparing aid.

Two Houthi-affiliated military sources said experts from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard visited Bab al-Mandab and sites in Mokha to study the installation of radars and oversee tunnel excavation, as fighting intensified between the Houthis and government forces around the Kahboub Mountains overlooking the maritime passage.

Yemeni government forces said they had taken control of positions in Taiz governorate amid continuing clashes and air strikes on several fronts, while the International Organization for Migration said more than 112,000 people had been displaced by the escalation. UN agencies warned of a declining ability to deliver aid and growing health risks facing women and children.

The Houthis acknowledged that a security operation had taken place in Sana’a, while sources reported that an explosion targeted a security facility belonging to the group in the Dhahr Hamir area early on Friday, killing four members, including a commander known as Abu Ahmed al-Madani, and seriously injuring three others.

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms said it had documented 661 violations attributed to the Houthi group in Taiz governorate between 3 and 15 September 2026. They included killings, injuries, abductions, house raids and attacks on civilian facilities, and reportedly resulted in the deaths of 51 civilians, injuries to 62 others and the displacement of thousands of families.

The local authorities in Hodeidah governorate accused the Houthi group of looting humanitarian facilities and programmes in Khokha and areas along the western coast, warning that the disruption of clinics, food and shelter warehouses, and a water-supply project threatens services for thousands of civilians and displaced people and deprives tens of thousands of healthcare and aid assistance.

Yemeni military sources said that army forces on Friday, 18 September 2026, recaptured positions infiltrated by the Houthis on the al-Kadaha and al-Wazi'iyah fronts west of Taiz after clashes lasting several hours. The operations coincided with the downing of a drone and air strikes on positions and gatherings belonging to the group in other parts of the governorate.

Clashes between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis have resumed in Taiz, Lahj and Marib, amid air strikes and competing claims over casualties. The UN has warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis after documenting 55 civilian deaths and injuries since the start of September, while funding for the 2026 response plan stands at just 20 per cent.