Yemen displacement tops 82,000 as Red Sea clashes intensify
08:32, 14/09/2026, Monday
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Displaced Yemeni civilians seen at temporary shelters in the Bani Omar area of southern Taiz, Yemen, on September 10, 2026, after fleeing escalating armed clashes between government forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Al-Wazi'iyah district. Intensified fighting and civilian casualties have forced hundreds of families from their homes, leaving displaced populations in urgent need of emergency shelter, food supplies, clean drinking water, and vital sanitation services.The International Organization for Migration said more than 82,000 people have been displaced by intensifying clashes along Yemen's western coast since early September, with over 2,000 civilians reaching Djibouti by sea and local authorities in Aden racing to establish new displacement camps to accommodate the influx.
Heavy clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthi fighters have displaced more than 82,000 civilians along the country's Red Sea coastline since the beginning of September, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as airstrikes and ground combat inflict mounting casualties on both sides.
Displacement crisis deepens
The International Organization for Migration reported that more than 82,000 people have fled their homes in the governorates of Taiz, Hudaydah and Lahij since the beginning of September, with over 2,000 of those displaced reaching Djibouti by sea. Local authorities in Aden have begun establishing a new displacement camp in Al-Bureiqa district designed to accommodate between 3,000 and 5,000 people, according to officials in the interim capital. Yemeni Health Minister Qasim Buhaibeh issued an urgent appeal for blood donations from citizens to bolster the emergency response capacity of medical facilities treating the wounded.
Military escalation
Yemeni government forces have intensified operations against Houthi positions in the areas of Mokha and Dhubab in western Taiz governorate, with Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Majid Al-Nazili stating that Houthi elements had been neutralized in an area described as a "zone of destruction." The government-aligned National Resistance Forces reported that 500 of its soldiers had been killed and approximately 1,500 wounded in intense fighting along the western coast between Aug. 9 and Sept. 10, adding that more than 1,000 Houthi fighters had also been killed. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said a total of 58 airstrikes had been carried out over the past 24 hours across six governorates, while the group claimed to have seized the strategic coastal city of Mokha and its Red Sea port.
Diplomatic contacts
Yemen's Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba held telephone discussions with her Somali counterpart Abdisalam Abdi Ali regarding developments in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and threats to international maritime navigation, according to official statements. The Somali side reiterated its support for the preservation of Yemen's sovereignty and regional security amid the ongoing military escalation.