Surge in displacement following fighting in southwest Yemen

At least 46,000 people have been displaced since renewed fighting erupted last week between Houthi rebels and pro-government forces in Yemen’s southwestern governorates of Taiz and the West Coast, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Friday. The UN agency warned that the number is ‘alarmingly rising by the hour’ as civilians flee areas under attack, including the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha, which Houthi fighters seized earlier this week. Displacement has surged as families, many displaced multiple times since 2014, abandon villages and towns cut off by fighting, with entire districts in Taiz—Maqbanah, Jabal Habashi, and Al Ma’afer—now emptied of residents.

Overnight evacuations from Mokha followed the Houthi takeover, while pro-government forces withdrew from an island base in the Bab al-Mandab Strait amid escalating clashes with Saudi-led coalition forces. The fighting has left hundreds dead, primarily combatants, and severed a vital supply route linking Mokha to Taiz, exacerbating pressure on host communities. New displacement flows are reported toward Lahj, Aden, and northward to Ibb, where emergency stocks are already depleted following recent flood relief efforts.

The humanitarian toll is mounting, with at least 14 civilians, including two children, killed or wounded since the start of August, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The World Health Organization (WHO) recorded 67 deaths and 288 injuries between August 6 and 24 across seven governorates, including Marib, Hadramout, Al-Hodeidah, Taiz, Shabwah, Al-Dhale’a, and Lahj. Hospitals in Marib, Hadramaut, and Taiz are overwhelmed by trauma patients, pushing emergency and surgical units beyond capacity amid a fragile health system where only 60 percent of facilities remain fully operational.

The IOM has called on all parties to ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access, protect workers and assets, and restore critical transport and communication routes to facilitate aid delivery. The agency highlighted urgent needs for shelter, food, water, household items, healthcare, and protection support. Meanwhile, hospitals in Marib General Hospital have temporarily suspended maternity services to prioritize trauma care, while morgues face overflow due to rising fatalities. Staff shortages, bed scarcity, and medical supply deficits further strain an already overwhelmed system.