Conflict in Yemen: As 125,000 people are displaced, what you need to know

Prior to this new wave of violence, Yemen remained one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, following a decade of conflict. In 2014, Yemen – the lowest-income country in the Middle East – was plunged into a civil war shaped by proxy intervention. Entire systems that communities rely on to survive, like food production and healthcare, were eroded, resulting in widespread poverty and suffering. 

Unfortunately, this crisis has only become even more complex due to climate shocks, water shortages, political instability and economic collapse. More than 80% of Yemenis now live below the poverty line, while the UN estimates that 47% of the population are currently experiencing crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity. 

Meanwhile, since 2014, the population of internally-displaced people, or IDPs, in Yemen, has increased by more than tenfold, with over 4.5 million people forced to flee their homes due to violence. Around 80% of this number are women and children, while 1.6 million people live in informal displacement sites.

Within these camps, access to clean water and functioning health facilities is difficult, and teamed with cramped conditions, illnesses and disease can spread easily. They are at constant risk of fires, flooding and sandstorms that can destroy tents and leave families facing the elements.

All of this is compounded by an international funding crisis that means organisations are forced to hyper-prioritise aid for the most urgent of needs. While over 22 million Yemenis are in need, the UN has targeted 10.5 million people for support this year due to constricting aid budgets. 

Now, intensified violence is adding fuel to the fire of this complex humanitarian crisis. 

Since early September, Yemen has been facing a devastating new wave of displacement as intensified conflict sweeps across Taiz, the West Coast, Marib, Al-Jawf, Lahj, and other affected governorates. Relentless hostilities, shelling, road closures, and insecurity have forced families to flee their homes with terrifying abruptness - many for the second or third time.

As of September 14th, approximately 125,000 people have been displaced across areas affected by these ongoing clashes. That number continues to rise daily. 

These are not mere statistics. They are mothers, fathers, children, and elders whose lives have been torn apart by violence they cannot control.

With little more than the clothes on their backs, families are arriving at overcrowded displacement sites and host communities that are already experiencing tightened resources and rising food insecurity. 

Concern Yemen’s programme director Abdul Ghaffar explains: “Families fleeing the latest escalation were already facing severe economic hardship, high levels of food insecurity and serious nutrition risks. Women and children arriving in the displacement sites we support are frightened and have come with almost nothing; no food, no shelter and no basic items they need to survive with dignity. 

“Resources were already scarce before this new displacement, and the additional caseload is stretching services even further. Our health clinics are under growing pressure, with essential supplies running low and staff working hard to respond to rising needs.”

Women, children, older people, persons with disabilities, and those suffering from chronic illness face heightened risks to their protection, health, and dignity. Being forced from their homes has pushed them into an even more desperate situation - increasing their exposure to hunger, disease, trauma, and unsafe living conditions.

Emergency stocks have been depleted, and due to funding shortages, current responses remain far below the scale of need, leaving thousands of newly displaced families without even basic assistance. Pregnant women are among those even more at risk, as they struggle to access adequate healthcare.

Husan Mothana, MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) officer at Concern Yemen, said: “During my visit to one of the newly established displacement sites in Aden, I saw families living in extremely difficult and undignified conditions. Local authorities had installed tents, but there were still no basic services available. 58 families had recently arrived, many of them women and children who had fled with almost nothing. 

“One family told me about a breastfeeding mother who was bleeding, yet no maternal health services were available to support her. There was no water, no latrines, no mattresses and no essential household items. These families urgently need safe shelter, clean water, sanitation, health care and basic supplies. Without immediate support, their health, dignity and safety will continue to deteriorate.”

Together with our national NGO partners, our team in Yemen is supporting health, nutrition, and WASH services in Lahj Governorate, as well as preparing a targeted emergency response in Taiz Governorate. 

The existing health clinics supported by Concern in two IDP camps in Lahj have already received an additional caseload of around 80 newly displaced families. Available medicines, supplies, and resources are limited, and are being stretched further by the sudden increase in needs caused by this crisis.

With your support, Concern and its partners can scale up quickly, reach families before conditions deteriorate further, and help protect lives. Together, we can offer hope in the midst of a worsening crisis.