Yemen's Taiz Sees Intensified Fighting as UN Reports Nearly 260,000 Displaced

Fighting has escalated in Yemen’s Taiz province, pitting government loyalists against Houthi forces, amidst a United Nations warning that thousands of civilians are being displaced. According to Majid al-Nazili, spokesperson for the government forces, an offensive involving 835 targeting operations was launched against the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah. These operations reportedly resulted in the deaths or injuries of 285 Houthi members and the destruction of their battle tanks and weapons stores. Intense clashes were also reported in the crucial Jabal Han highlands in western Taiz, which offer strategic views of routes connecting the province to the Yemeni government’s base in Aden. Significant fighting has also occurred in the Dhubab and al-Masrakh districts. An Al Jazeera source within the Yemeni government’s military indicated that air raids had targeted Houthi gatherings and infrastructure in the Maafar directorate, south of Taiz.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that nearly 260,000 people have been displaced since August, with approximately half seeking refuge in Taiz, the current epicenter of the conflict. A report released by OCHA on Wednesday also detailed that the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has verified 251 civilian casualties, including 57 fatalities and 194 injuries. Alarmingly, half of those killed were children. Despite challenging circumstances, humanitarian partners have provided assistance, including food, hygiene kits, and emergency cash, to over 174,000 displaced individuals since August, reaching nearly six in ten displaced households in the immediate aftermath of their displacement. OCHA noted that newly displaced families identify shelter as their most pressing need, followed by food and cash. The conflict has also severely impacted education, with Yemen’s Ministry of Education reporting that over 2.5 million children are out of school.

These developments occur as government forces advance their “Dawn of Yemen” counteroffensive, initiated earlier this month, aiming to reclaim Houthi-controlled areas, including the capital, Sanaa, with support from the Saudi-led coalition. This operation followed the Houthis’ declaration of a blockade on Saudi Arabia in the vital Bab al-Mandeb strait in July and subsequent rapid offensives along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The Houthis have also conducted attacks on targets within Saudi Arabia, including airports, which analysts suggest is a tactic to pressure for a political resolution. Houthi forces claim these strikes are a response to Saudi Arabia’s long-standing restrictions on Houthi-controlled airports and seaports, such as Sanaa airport. Saudi Arabia’s Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed on Thursday that a Houthi strike on King Fahd airport in Dammam on Wednesday evening had resulted in two deaths. In response, the US State Department ordered non-essential staff and their families to depart the US embassy in Riyadh, fueling concerns of further escalation. The embassy had already sustained significant damage at the start of the US-Israel war on Iran and was operating with minimal staff, though some personnel had recently returned. A new travel alert from the State Department cautioned Americans about the potential for hostilities to escalate rapidly beyond the immediate area. In Yemen, government forces accused the Houthis of striking Aden and al-Rayyan airports on Wednesday. Rashad Al-Alimi, head of the governing Presidential Leadership Council, condemned these strikes and urged the international community to designate the Houthi group as a “terrorist” organisation. Yemen has been embroiled in conflict since the Houthis seized Sanaa and other provinces in 2014, leading to the intervention of a Saudi-led coalition in March 2015 to support the internationally recognized government. A UN-brokered truce that expired in July saw the Houthis announce a blockade on Saudi ports. Currently, the Houthis control a significant portion of northern and western Yemen, while government forces and their allies maintain control over Aden and substantial parts of the country’s southern and eastern provinces.