More than 900 families displaced as fighting intensifies in Yemen’s Taiz

More than 900 families have fled their homes in Yemen’s Taiz province in just two days, as renewed fighting between government forces and the Houthis reached residential areas and displacement camps.

Preliminary figures from the Taiz office of the Planning and International Cooperation Ministry showed that 917 families were displaced on Thursday and Friday. The latest clashes centered on Maqbanah district and nearby areas, including Jabal Habashi.

Authorities said families left with little warning and many lacked basic belongings and necessities. People from Ozul Al-Yaman, Al-Abdalah and Al-Ashmalah, along with residents of the Al-Jubb, Al-Rahbah and Al-Rajhi camps, moved toward safer areas in Jabal Habashi and Al-Ma’afer districts.

Officials warned that the number of displaced people could rise if the fighting continues. They appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance, including shelter, food, drinking water and sanitation services.

Heavy clashes have also been reported across several fronts in Taiz and neighboring Hodeidah province, near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. Local media, citing military sources, reported that dozens of government troops and Houthi fighters were killed or wounded. Civilians have also reportedly been killed and injured, although no consolidated official casualty toll has been released.

The latest escalation follows clashes that began in July, ending a period of relative calm that had largely held along Yemen’s front lines since a United Nations-brokered truce in April 2022. The Houthis have controlled Sanaa and other areas since 2014, while Yemen’s internationally recognized government and allied forces control large parts of the country.