UN warns of rising civilian toll as violence surges in Yemen

Displacement camps and health centres have been attacked during a surge in violence in Yemen between Saudi-backed government forces and Iran-backed Houthis, UN agencies said on Thursday, as the civilian death toll continues to rise.

The latest fighting marks a sharp escalation in Yemen's civil war, which had largely been frozen since a 2022 truce. It also reflects a widening conflict linked to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

More than 130,000 displaced

Violence has flared along former front lines in recent weeks, including around Taiz, as Houthi forces moved south along the Red Sea coast.

More than 130,000 people have been displaced, with some fleeing across the Red Sea to Africa, according to the UN.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said his office had documented three attacks by Ansar Allah, the formal name for the Houthi movement, on sites housing internally displaced people since August.

The attacks on 7 August, 7 September and 9 September in the Marib region caused dozens of casualties and killed five children, Turk said.

His office has documented the deaths of 32 civilians, including 15 children and three women, since August in fighting that included drone and missile strikes.

The victims were among 125 people killed or wounded in the latest escalation, a figure Turk's office said was likely an undercount because of insecurity and limited access.

“Civilians are now bearing the brunt of this latest upsurge in fighting,” Turk said in a statement.

The World Health Organization said some health facilities had been “directly attacked” and that an ambulance driver and a medic were killed in Lahj on 18 September. It did not attribute blame for the attack.

Aid shortages worsen

Both sides have alleged that hundreds of people have been killed in fighting in recent weeks, without providing details.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam said the UN human rights office was no longer impartial and rejected its allegations. He accused Saudi forces of carrying out bombardments that targeted public facilities, including a correctional facility, homes and schools.

More than 70 UN staff members are being detained by the Houthis in Yemen, some of whom have been held for years. Turk called for their release and urged all parties to protect civilians, saying warnings of attacks did not remove their obligations to provide protection.

Saudi officials have repeatedly said their forces do not target civilians in Yemen. They did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Aid groups are increasing their response in a country where 18 million people, or roughly half the population, face acute food insecurity.

The World Health Organization has stepped up the distribution of medical supplies, including blood bags, trauma kits and surgical equipment, and is deploying emergency teams as injuries rise.

However, many people remain without adequate support. A UN refugee agency plan for Yemen was less than 20 per cent funded before the renewed violence caused humanitarian needs to surge.

Aisha Ahmed, an internally displaced mother of four, told Reuters at a camp in Taiz that the influx of people in recent weeks was causing shortages.

“We need water and everything else. We have nothing,” she said.

Read more: 

• Houthis widen pressure on key Middle East trade routes
• Houthi attacks target Riyadh as Iran sets conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz
• Saudi shuts down oil pipeline as Houthis tighten grip on Red Sea shipping

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