Yemen Conflict: Displacement Surges to 290,000 as UN Warns of Crisis
Mobile medical teams and aid distributions reach roughly three in four displaced people, while pregnant women face acute risks in the ongoing conflict.
By Charles Reed ·
The United Nations reports that 290,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since fighting reignited in August. The humanitarian office OCHA published the figures on Friday, warning that the situation for vulnerable groups is deteriorating rapidly.
Among the newly displaced are 6,100 pregnant women. Of those, 600 are due to give birth within the next two weeks. OCHA stated that 65,000 refugees and asylum seekers in the country face disrupted services and rising costs for food and fuel.
Aid organizations have delivered food, hygiene supplies, and emergency cash to approximately 249,000 individuals. This number represents about three in four of the total displaced population. The UN has also deployed mobile teams and midwives to various displacement sites to address immediate medical needs.
Combat has intensified between forces loyal to the internationally recognized government and Houthi rebels. The heaviest fighting occurs in Taiz governorate and coastal regions. The Yemeni government announced on Friday that the Houthis fired at least three ballistic missiles at the Maashiq presidential palace in Aden. The group also targeted Aden International airport, which had reopened on Thursday after repairs from a previous strike.
Yemen’s government cabinet condemned the strikes on the palace and airport. Spokesman Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili said government forces neutralized about 336 Houthi fighters and commanders in recent hours. He reported that warplanes, drones, and artillery destroyed or damaged 112 vehicles and weapons systems on fronts including Taiz, Marib, al-Jawf, and al-Bayda.
The conflict has expanded across the border into Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region on Saturday. This marks the second interception over that area in two days. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki stated that authorities were inspecting the site and that no casualties were reported. Saudi Arabia also reported downing drones near Mecca, Medina, and Riyadh on Friday, along with a Houthi missile aimed at the south.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied launching drones toward Saudi territory. He described the Saudi claims as egregious lies. The group has previously denied targeting Islam’s two holiest cities while claiming responsibility for attacks on the capital, airports, and oil infrastructure. A Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport on October 10 killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Civilian casualties have mounted since August. The UN verified 270 civilian casualties, including 68 killed, with half of the dead being children. The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms recorded at least 189 civilian deaths in Taiz province between September 1 and October 29. This count includes 38 children and 27 women. The group also documented 23 field executions and more than 300 abductions or enforced disappearances. Closed roads currently block essential supplies to two million people in the vicinity. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud discussed the situation with U.S., Russian, and European counterparts at a G20 meeting in Atlanta on Saturday.
