Renewed fighting has displaced 125,000 civilians since September as aid operations face severe access and funding challenges….reports Africa Daily News Desk
Renewed hostilities in Yemen have displaced at least 125,000 civilians since the beginning of September, while civilian casualties and severe access restrictions are putting further strain on humanitarian operations, the United Nations has warned.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday that continued fighting was forcing people to flee their homes and leaving humanitarian agencies struggling to deliver assistance amid deteriorating security conditions.
The UN Human Rights Office has verified 40 civilian casualties in the first two weeks of September, including eight deaths and 32 injuries. Women and children accounted for half of those killed and more than half of those injured, Xinhua news agency reported.
Despite the difficult conditions, the UN and its humanitarian partners have continued providing assistance to thousands of households. However, humanitarian supplies are running critically low, while funding remains insufficient to meet rising needs.
“Humanitarian access and movements remain severely constrained due to insecurity,” OCHA said.
Humanitarian movements into and within several areas along Yemen’s west coast remain suspended, while key roads are either restricted or impassable, further complicating relief efforts.
OCHA urged all parties to protect civilians, comply with international humanitarian law and ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access.
The latest displacement comes amid intensified fighting between Yemen’s government forces and the Houthi group along the country’s western coast.
Earlier this month, government forces said more than 500 soldiers had been killed and around 1,500 wounded during month-long battles with the Houthis between August 9 and September 10. The figures could not be independently verified.
In a statement carried by Al-Joumhouriya TV, the government’s National Resistance Forces also claimed that more than 1,000 Houthi members had been killed and thousands wounded during the fighting.
The clashes reportedly began with Houthi missile, drone and explosive-boat attacks before spreading from Hays in southern Hodeidah province to several fronts in neighbouring southwestern Taiz province.
The violence intensified after a Houthi offensive launched on September 3 rapidly shifted front lines along the Red Sea coast. The group captured several areas previously held by government forces in Hodeidah and Taiz provinces.
The escalation has added to Yemen’s already severe humanitarian crisis, with civilians facing displacement, casualties and growing difficulties in accessing essential aid.
