Yemen Displacement Crisis: 290,000 Forced From Homes

The war in Yemen has forced at least 290,000 people from their homes since fighting resumed in August. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released a report on Friday confirming this displacement figure. The agency warned that the situation for pregnant women is becoming critical.

Fighting has intensified between the internationally recognized government and Houthi rebels. The heaviest clashes are occurring in Taiz governorate and along the coast. According to the UN report, 6,100 pregnant women were among those recently displaced. Of that group, 600 are expected to give birth within the next two weeks.

Aid groups have delivered food, hygiene supplies, and emergency cash to approximately 249,000 displaced people. This figure represents about three out of every four individuals who have been uprooted by the conflict. The UN deployed mobile teams and midwives to displacement sites to assist those in need. However, the report notes that services for refugees and asylum seekers are deteriorating rapidly. Food and fuel prices are rising quickly in affected areas.

The conflict has expanded beyond Yemen’s borders. Saudi Arabia intercepted a hostile drone over the Riyadh region on Saturday. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki stated on social media that no casualties were reported. This marks the second interception over the capital in two days. On Friday, Saudi forces downed drones near Mecca, Medina, and Riyadh, along with a Houthi missile aimed at the kingdom’s 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 Riyadh’s airport and oil infrastructure. A Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport on October 10 killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300. It was the deadliest attack on Saudi soil in over a decade.

Yemen’s government announced that Houthi forces fired at least three ballistic missiles at the Maashiq presidential palace in Aden. The strikes also targeted Aden International airport, which had just reopened after repairs from a prior attack. Government spokesman Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili said forces neutralized about 336 Houthi fighters in recent hours. He reported that air and artillery strikes destroyed 112 vehicles and weapons systems in the Taiz, Marib, al-Jawf, and al-Bayda fronts.

The UN has verified 270 civilian casualties since August, including 68 deaths. Half of the dead were children. The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms recorded at least 189 civilian deaths in Taiz province between September 1 and October 29. The group also documented 23 field executions and more than 300 abductions. Fighting has closed roads, blocking food, medicine, fuel, and water to two million people in the vicinity.