Yemen conflict leaves 1,771 dead, nearly 8,000 wounded: WHO

Surging casualty rates

The World Health Organization said Thursday that 1,771 people have been killed and 7,959 others injured in Yemen since August as military hostilities intensify between government forces and Houthi rebels. Between October 26 and 30 alone, 94 people were killed and 564 injured, representing an average of 132 casualties per day — up from 93 per day during the previous reporting period, according to the latest situation report.

Regional toll and displacement

Lahj governorate accounted for the largest share of casualties during the five-day period with 309 victims, or 47 percent of the total, while Marib recorded the highest number of fatalities at 36 deaths among 172 casualties, with 117 casualties on October 30 alone including 20 deaths in Al-Jubah, Harib and the Al-Jawf front. The International Organization for Migration reported that more than 300,000 people have been displaced as of November 1, including over 43,000 who fled Al-Madaribah wa Al-Arah district in Lahj since early October, while Aden is currently hosting more than 56,000 displaced people.

Escalation and background

Essential goods in Taiz city have become three to five times more expensive, the WHO noted, as military escalation resumed in July between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels, particularly in Taiz and Lahj provinces. The renewed clashes ended the relative calm observed since April 2022, while Yemen has remained engulfed in conflict since the Houthis seized Sanaa in September 2014 and a Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 to support the internationally recognized government.