Yemen – Sana’a : Nearly 50,000 people have been forced to flee their homes following a rapid Houthi military offensive in western Yemen, aid workers said, as renewed fighting threatens to plunge the war-torn country back into a full-scale conflict.
The United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) said around 46,000 people have been displaced across the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates. Entire villages have reportedly been emptied, while families caught near frontline areas are struggling with dwindling supplies of food, water and other essentials.
The latest offensive by the Iran-backed Houthi movement has seen the group capture several towns along the Red Sea coast from forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally backed government, which has received support from the United States and Saudi Arabia. Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed in the recent fighting.
For many displaced families, the latest exodus is not their first. Some have been forced to leave their homes for a second or even third time because of Yemen’s prolonged conflict.
Joe Lowry, an IOM spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa, said the scale of displacement was increasing rapidly as fighting continued to change the situation on the ground.
“Civilians are bearing the brunt of renewed frontline warfare, airstrikes, shelling, and large-scale displacement,” Lowry said.
Many people fleeing the fighting reportedly left with little more than the belongings they could carry. Key roads have been cut off by the fighting, while communication networks have also been disrupted in some areas.
Aid agencies say displaced civilians urgently need emergency shelter, food, clean drinking water, cash assistance, healthcare, household supplies and protection services.
Mocha Falls to Houthis
The Houthi advance has been particularly significant because of the reported capture of Mocha, a strategically important port city on the Red Sea coast. The city is historically associated with the global coffee trade and gave its name to the popular mocha coffee drink.
Residents who escaped described scenes of fear and chaos. One resident who fled Mocha overnight described the atmosphere as “apocalyptic”, while others reported looting by gangs as families attempted to escape the fighting.
Some civilians managed to leave on motorcycles and other vehicles, while others remained trapped in areas affected by the fighting.
Battle for the Red Sea Route
The latest developments have raised international concern because of Yemen’s proximity to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital maritime passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and connecting major trade routes between Asia and Europe.
The Houthis’ growing control over territory along the Red Sea coast could give them greater strategic access to the area. Any serious disruption or closure of the narrow waterway could have major consequences for global shipping and energy markets.
Ships forced to avoid the Red Sea would have to take a much longer route around the southern tip of Africa, adding thousands of nautical miles to their journeys and increasing transportation costs.
The renewed violence has also contributed to volatility in global oil markets, with crude prices recently rising above $100 a barrel.
UN Warns of ‘More Dangerous Phase’
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg has warned that the country has entered a “new and more dangerous phase of war”.
Grundberg told an emergency UN Security Council meeting that the renewed fighting effectively marked the end of the relative calm Yemen had experienced for more than four years following a UN-brokered truce.
He warned that the escalation could lead to a prolonged and expanding conflict and potentially draw Yemen deeper into wider regional tensions.
Yemen has long been caught in a complex struggle involving regional powers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Rival groups have received varying degrees of regional support, turning the country into a major arena for proxy conflict.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The renewed fighting comes as Yemen is already facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
A recent UN humanitarian report warned that roughly half of Yemen’s population is facing acute food insecurity, while malnutrition continues to worsen. Years of conflict, economic decline, repeated displacement and climate-related shocks have severely weakened household resilience.
At the same time, declining humanitarian funding is making it increasingly difficult for aid agencies to provide assistance to people in need.
For civilians who have escaped the latest fighting, safety has come at a heavy cost.
“It’s a catastrophe, and the attacks are ongoing,” said Mohammed Khudairi, who fled to a displacement camp near Khokha. “We managed to leave, but others remain trapped there.”
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