Houthi Offensive Sparks Heavy Fighting and Mass Displacement in Yemen
Houthi rebels and Yemeni government forces have intensified fighting around Taiz and the Red Sea coast, displacing 150,000 people and triggering a severe food crisis.
Fighting between the Government of Yemen and Iran-backed Houthi rebels has intensified across several provinces, ending a period of relative calm following a 2022 UN-brokered truce. The escalation follows a Houthi offensive that seized the Red Sea coast and the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. In response, government forces and the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, and other provinces.
Heavy clashes are concentrated around the strategic city of Taiz, where Houthis are attempting to control corridors linking northern and southern Yemen. While government forces reported victories on the Al-Aqrud front and the capture of the Numan mountain range in Lahj, the Houthis have captured three rural villages. The conflict has expanded into cross-border violence, with the Saudi-led coalition intercepting Houthi ballistic missiles and drones aimed at southern Saudi Arabia and reporting an attack on a power station in Madinah, which the Houthis denied.
The humanitarian situation has deteriorated rapidly. The World Health Organization reports over 800 deaths and thousands of injuries since fighting resumed last month. Approximately 150,000 people have been displaced, with many seeking refuge in Taiz. The World Food Programme reports that 74% of households cannot meet basic food needs, warning that the insecurity threatens to be devastating for food supplies.
