The UN reports that renewed fighting in Yemen has struck displacement camps and health centres, displacing over 130,000 people and triggering acute humanitarian needs. The UN rights office documented three attacks on IDP sites in Marib and recorded 32 civilian deaths since August, including 15 children. The WHO confirmed health facilities were hit and medical staff were killed, while UN funding appeals remain severely under-resourced.
UN: Camps and Clinics Struck As Yemen Fighting Surges, Forcing 130,000+ From Homes
People carry jerry cans as they collect water for a makeshift camp for people displaced by clashes between Iran-aligned Houthi fighters and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, in Taiz province, Yemen, September 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ebrahim Al-Suhaibi
Displacement camps and health centres in Yemen have been struck amid a sharp escalation of fighting between Saudi-backed government forces and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, UN agencies said on Sept. 24, warning of a mounting civilian toll that includes children.
New surge in violence
The renewed hostilities mark a significant escalation of a conflict that had largely been frozen under a 2022 truce, and officials say the violence has widened in the context of broader regional tensions. Clashes re-emerged along old front lines — notably around Taiz — as Houthi forces pushed south along the Red Sea coast. The violence has triggered a humanitarian emergency: more than 130,000 people have been displaced and some are crossing the Red Sea to Africa to escape the fighting.
UN human rights findings
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said his office documented three attacks by Ansar Allah (the Houthi movement) on sites for internally displaced people in Marib since August. The incidents — recorded on August 7, September 7 and September 9 — caused dozens of casualties and resulted in the deaths of five children, Turk's office said.
"Civilians are now bearing the brunt of this latest upsurge in fighting," Turk said, urging all parties to protect non-combatants and calling for the release of over 70 UN staff detained by Houthi authorities.
Turk's office has documented 32 civilian deaths since August, including 15 children and three women, in fighting that has involved drone and missile strikes. Those victims were among an estimated 125 people killed or wounded in the most recent flare-up; the UN noted that figure is likely an undercount because insecurity and access constraints limit reporting.
Impact on health services and humanitarian response
The World Health Organization said some health facilities were "directly attacked" and reported that an ambulance driver and a medic were killed in Lahj on September 18. The WHO has increased distribution of medical supplies — including blood bags and trauma and surgical kits — and is deploying emergency teams as injuries rise.
Humanitarian organisations are stepping up relief in a country where roughly half the population — about 18 million people — faces acute food insecurity. Yet the UN refugee agency's appeal for Yemen was under 20% funded before the renewed violence multiplied needs, and many displaced communities report severe shortages of water, food and basic services.
Responses and allegations
Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam rejected the UN rights office's findings as biased, accusing it of ignoring Saudi bombardment that he said targeted public facilities including a correctional institution, homes and schools. Saudi officials have repeatedly said their forces do not target civilians; they did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Human cost
At a camp near Taiz, an internally displaced mother of four, Aisha Ahmed, told Reuters the influx of people in recent weeks has produced severe shortages: "We need water and everything else, we have nothing," she said.
Reporting by Emma Farge; additional reporting by Timour Azhari in Riyadh; editing by Philippa Fletcher. Source: Reuters.
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