Fighting re-erupts in Yemen and civilians are paying the price

Taiz, Yemen – Aman Murshed, a mother of five in her 50s, has spent more than five years displaced in a camp in Taiz’s al-Kadaha area, hoping to return to her home where her family farmed and raised livestock.

Those dreams were vanquished when battles between the Houthis and the internationally recognised government re-erupted this month with the fiercest fighting in years.

The Houthis’ capture of the entire Red Sea coast on Friday meant that displacement “is alarmingly rising by the hour”, according to the United Nations.

“We used to hope to return home, but today we just hope to retrieve the basic belongings we left behind in the previous camp. Here we have no food and rely on neighbours to share a meal or two with us each day. I had to leave all our food behind,” Murshed told Al Jazeera English.

“The last four years were calm, and our hopes of returning home grew stronger. But suddenly, fighting erupted near our camp three days ago, and we found ourselves fleeing again toward an unknown destination.

“The only priority was to carry the children and flee as quickly as possible, because any delay could mean death. It was around 5am, and there were no cars in the camp or the surrounding area since it is on the front line. So, we walked for more than two kilometres until we found a pick-up truck that brought us to this camp for free.”

Hundreds of other families from the camp fled in every direction, some taken in by relatives or friends, while others searched for another camp that might have space for them. Many without a home now spend their days under the shade of trees, attempting to avoid the worst of the baking midday heat.

Murshed ended up at the al-Malika camp in al-Maafer district, Taiz, where she knew relatives, but her family lacks proper shelter. “They understand our suffering and will help us settle down,” she said.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that at least 46,000 people in Yemen have fled their homes since new clashes erupted last week.

On Friday, the Houthis captured Mocha and the last remaining parts of the Red Sea coast not under their control, sending panic through government-controlled areas and causing mass displacement.

Murshed only had time to grab a few blankets and mattresses before she fled her tent, leaving most of her belongings behind. She is most distressed about abandoning her livestock, her primary source of income and security.

“During my previous displacement, I managed to take my livestock with me. But this time, I had to leave them behind, and I am certain they were killed in the fighting.”

She is now trying to piece together a basic shelter from wooden poles and a tarpaulin donated by her neighbours, knowing that her future now lies in the hands of locals and aid groups who might help support her family.

“We used to hope to return home, but today we just hope to retrieve the basic belongings we left behind in the previous camp. Here we have no food and rely on neighbours to share a meal or two with us each day. I had to leave all our food behind,” she said.

Murshed says she can endure life without enough food and few belongings but her heart breaks for the children in the camp, who have no education, proper nutrition or other essential support.

An estimated 22.3 million people of a total population of about 35 million require humanitarian assistance and protection services in Yemen, according to the 2026 Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) by OCHA’s ReliefWeb. These include 5.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs).

Ahmed Abduljaleel, a displaced man in his 40s living in al-Ghazaliya camp in al-Maafer district, fled his previous home in a camp in Jabal Habashi district early on Friday morning.

His story closely mirrors that of Murshed and the thousands of other families displaced by the latest fighting who had been living for years off aid.

“Our suffering is clear, but humanitarian organisations have not reached us yet to see that only women and children are sleeping under plastic sheets and using bathrooms, while men sleep outdoors. We all share the pain of a severe food shortage,” he told Al Jazeera.

Abdulnasser al-Sourouri, the branch manager in al-Maafer for the Peace and Social Security Organisation – a local nongovernmental group providing displaced people with food and essential supplies – said the ongoing fighting is piling immense pressure on aid workers who were already struggling with severe budget shortfalls before the new wave of displacements began.

“Displaced families need all basic services, including food, shelter, clean water and hygiene kits, but we lack the funds to assist everyone,” he told Al Jazeera.

“We managed to help some with shelter, but the need is vast. International organisations and the UN must intervene as soon as possible.”

Some of the fiercest fighting in previous days has been in al-Jawf, Marib and al-Bayda governorates, triggering further displacement in all three regions.

Ali Qaid, director-general of the Executive Unit for IDP Camp Management in Taiz, said that most of the displaced people had fled to al-Maafer district amid the critical security situation.

“Hundreds of families are crammed into narrow tents or right beside them, as these camps lack the capacity to absorb thousands of additional families,” Qaid told Al Jazeera.

While coordination with aid groups is under way for an urgent response to the situation, current humanitarian interventions remain weak.

Muneer, a man in his 40s who preferred to use only his first name, fled Jabal Habashi district on Friday night, leaving behind everything he owns. He was also hit by a bullet in the latest clashes.

“I was fleeing my home, following other families, when fighting suddenly broke out and I was injured in my left leg,” Muneer told Al Jazeera.

“The clashes were fierce, but praise be to Allah, it was a miracle that I made it out alive.”

Muneer has since been discharged from hospital but now relies on a cane to walk.

“We are exhausted by this war. All we want now is an end to the fighting so we can resume our normal lives,” he said.

The UN-brokered truce agreement in April 2022 had brought a temporary halt to major fighting between government-aligned forces and the Houthis, who captured the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014.

While there were periodic clashes during this period amid increased regional and maritime conflicts, this month’s fighting is the fiercest in years.

During this period, attention was focused on the Red Sea, with the Houthis targeting several ships passing Yemen during the war on Gaza, prompting US and United Kingdom air strikes on the group’s positions.

In July 2026, during the war on Iran, the Houthis threatened to attack Saudi-linked vessels passing through the Red Sea. Several ships in these waters and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia have been targeted.

Mohammed Ali, a journalist in Taiz, said Yemenis hoping for better conditions during the quieter years have been left bitterly disappointed by the reigniting of the war.

“We believed a peaceful resolution was drawing closer over the last four years, as the military fronts were quiet and there were multiple rounds of discussions between the warring parties,” Ali told Al Jazeera.

“However, the broader US-Iran conflict effectively brought an end to the 2022 truce, as the Houthis have been attempting to advance to take control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait to serve Iran’s agenda,” he said.

“The warring sides are escalating, but it is civilians who pay the price. A single visit to one of the camps for displaced families is enough to see the severe toll this escalation has taken on the Yemeni people.”