In the midst of rising fears over the collapsing ceasefire and stagnating peace efforts in Yemen, recent developments have highlighted the Houthi group’s stubbornness and its intent to prolong the ongoing conflict. A government report has recorded the displacement of nearly 14,000 individuals in the second and third quarters of this year, chiefly due to the escalated Houthi military actions.
The Yemeni Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons’ Camps revealed that the latest wave of migration saw 1,201 families, or approximately 6,501 individuals, displaced in the third quarter, between July 1st and September 30th. This is in addition to another 1,370 Yemeni families, roughly 7,378 individuals, displaced in the second quarter, spanning April to June.
According to the report, displaced Yemeni families originated from 139 directorates across 19 governorates during the third quarter. They sought refuge in 38 directorates within 10 governorates. The province of Al Hudaydah took the brunt of this exodus, with a displacement rate of 34%, accounting for 366 families. It was closely followed by the Taiz governorate and the Ma’rib governorate.
The Executive Unit has noted a decline in internal displacement cases in Yemen, by over half in the second quarter compared to the first, which had recorded the displacement of nearly 3,133 families.
Amidst the ongoing military escalation by the Houthi group and their rejection of all endeavors to renew and extend the truce, particularly on humanitarian grounds, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced that over 27,000 people in Yemen have been displaced since the beginning of the year. The organization’s displacement tracking matrix confirmed the displacement of 4,600 families, constituting 27,600 individuals, at least once from January to the end of September.
Moreover, the IOM has been actively providing aid in partnership with the European Union to over 300,000 Yemenis who have been adversely affected by the intense conflict that has raged on for over eight years, offering various humanitarian assistance programs.
To provide context, Yemen has been mired in a devastating conflict since 2015, which has caused the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Constant clashes between the Houthi movement and the Yemeni government, supported by a Saudi-led coalition, have left millions in need of aid and made peace seem a distant possibility.
