Yemeni government forces said they had taken control of positions in Taiz governorate, amid continuing clashes with the Houthi group on several fronts and UN warnings that the displacement crisis was worsening and humanitarian organisations were becoming less able to meet the growing needs of those affected.
The field developments came after days of fighting in western and southern Taiz, where government forces and the Houthis exchanged attacks and control of positions in the areas of Jabal Habashi, Al-Kadha, Al-Wazi'iyah and Al-Shamayatayn, as the escalation extended to the western coast and areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Government forces had also announced air strikes targeting Houthi positions, vehicles and gatherings at the Al-Dhikrah junction and in the areas of Al-Dimnah and Al-Rahida, as well as positions at the Al-Wazi'iyah junction, Jabal Habashi and the road linking Mokha and Al-Barh.
Clashes also resumed in the Kahboub mountains near Bab al-Mandab, amid mutual attempts to advance and infiltrate. Pro-government sources said the Nation's Shield forces, backed by the Giants Brigades, had thwarted a Houthi attack, inflicted losses on its fighters and equipment, captured two group members and brought down a drone.
Meanwhile, the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah channel reported that one person had been killed in the Abs area of Hajjah governorate in air strikes. It also said a man and a woman had been injured and homes damaged in shelling that targeted a telecommunications tower in the Al-Rahida area of Khadir district, attributing the attack to Saudi aircraft.
Displacement widens in Taiz and along the western coast
In Lahij governorate, around 21,000 people were displaced from Al-Mudha'ribah district, while Tuban district received more than 10,000 displaced people. According to the organisation, displacement also extended to the governorates of Aden, Hudaydah, Abyan and Marib, and other areas, while difficult road crossings, disrupted communications and access restrictions hampered needs assessments and aid deliveries.
Abdulsattar Aswif, head of the International Organization for Migration's mission in Yemen, said families fleeing the fighting arrived in displacement areas in need of shelter, water, food, household items, health services and protection. He added that available aid stocks were rapidly declining, calling on the international community to provide urgent funding for the response.
The UN official cited the case of a woman who was displaced with her four children and then had to give birth in the open without shelter or medical care. The family had only a torn piece of plastic sheeting to shelter under, illustrating the conditions facing displaced families.
Pregnant women face risks during childbirth
The United Nations Population Fund, for its part, estimated that about 2,000 pregnant women were among the newly displaced, with more than 200 expected to give birth during the 10 days following the briefing. Francesco Galtieri, the fund's representative in Yemen, said insecurity, the closure of some health facilities and impassable roads threatened women's access to delivery and emergency care services.
The fund added that, in coordination with its partners and through the UN inter-agency rapid response mechanism, it had assisted about 60,000 displaced people within 72 hours of their departure from their areas. But it warned that funding shortages and dwindling relief supplies were limiting its ability to maintain the response at the pace required by the widening crisis.
The World Health Organization said only 60% of the 5,415 assessed health service delivery units were fully operational, while 35% were operating partially and 4% had ceased operations. It added that comprehensive trauma care services were available in only 6% of the assessed facilities.
Health facilities' operating capacity declines
The organisation said the health sector faced shortages of staff, equipment, funding and medical supplies, alongside increased demand for trauma care, emergency services and medical referrals because of the fighting and displacement. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, meanwhile, said it had documented 110 civilian casualties since the escalation of hostilities in August, including 28 deaths and 82 injuries, in 31 incidents across governorates including Taiz, Hudaydah and Marib.
It said the actual toll could be higher because of security restrictions and difficulties accessing some areas. The United Nations said more than 22 million people in Yemen needed humanitarian assistance and that the current escalation was increasing that number.
UN calls for protection of civilians
It called on all parties to de-escalate, protect civilians and humanitarian workers, and ensure unimpeded access for aid. The UN Refugee Agency also said that nearly 3,000 people had arrived in Djibouti in less than a week after dangerous sea journeys, with some arrivals reaching the country without family members.
It warned that the capacities of host communities were facing growing pressure in the water, sanitation, shelter and education sectors. Government forces and the Houthis continue their operations on several fronts in Taiz, along the western coast, and in Marib and Al-Jawf, while the number of families leaving conflict areas rises and pressure increases on shelters, health services and humanitarian aid stocks.
