Yemen War Displaces 125,000 as Fighting Intensifies

Published: 17 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

More than 125,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since the beginning of September as renewed fighting pushes families from their homes and places additional pressure on communities already struggling with years of conflict and humanitarian hardship.

The latest wave of displacement has been particularly severe in and around Taiz, where fighting has spread through rural districts and forced families to seek safety in areas with limited shelter, employment and humanitarian resources. The United Nations humanitarian office has estimated that the renewed violence has displaced about 18,000 households since the start of September.

The scale of the movement comes after months of growing insecurity in parts of Yemen. Recent International Organization for Migration monitoring has recorded substantial displacement in Taiz and neighbouring areas, with thousands of households forced to move during successive periods of fighting. IOM’s displacement tracking system recorded 13,500 people displaced between 30 August and 5 September alone, with Taiz accounting for the overwhelming majority of those movements.

For families caught in the fighting, leaving home has often been a decision made within hours. Many have travelled with children and whatever possessions they could carry, while livestock, household goods and livelihoods have been left behind.

Asma Taleb, a woman in her 50s from the Maqbanah district, told the Guardian that she fled with her two sons and five grandchildren after fighting reached her community. Her family had previously lived in a large home, but after arriving at a displacement camp they struggled to find even basic shelter.

She described the experience as one that had affected families regardless of their economic circumstances. People who had previously been able to provide for themselves were suddenly dependent on relatives, humanitarian organisations and overcrowded camps.

When Taleb arrived in Al-Shimayateen district, she found that newly displaced families were continuing to arrive. Several families were sharing individual tents, while others were staying with relatives because there was not enough accommodation.

The situation reflects a wider challenge facing humanitarian agencies. Displacement is happening faster than available shelter and assistance can be provided in some locations, leaving families to find temporary solutions while fighting continues.

IOM’s latest publicly available displacement tracking shows how quickly the numbers have been changing. Between 6 and 12 September, the agency recorded 9,892 households, equivalent to 59,352 people, experiencing displacement at least once. From the beginning of the year through 12 September, IOM had recorded 17,432 households, or 104,592 individuals, who had experienced displacement at least once through its tracking system.

These figures use a different reporting period and methodology from the broader UN estimate of people displaced since the beginning of September, so they should not simply be added together. The data nevertheless demonstrates the speed and scale of population movement in the affected areas.

Taiz has been particularly exposed. IOM’s earlier September tracking found that most displacement recorded between 30 August and 5 September occurred within or into Taiz governorate, including movements involving Maqbanah, Mawza and Jabal Habashi. The majority of those movements were internal, meaning families generally remained within Yemen rather than crossing an international border.

For rural families whose livelihoods depend on agriculture and livestock, displacement also means the loss of their primary source of income.

Hatem Qasem, a farmer from Al-Wazeyah district west of Taiz city, told the Guardian that his family had been forced to leave after fighting and shelling reached their village. His family and several others travelled together, while livestock had to be sold at low prices because there was no practical way to take the animals with them.

The immediate priority for families such as Qasem’s is safety. But once they reach an area away from the fighting, another problem begins: how to survive without employment, housing or access to their previous livelihoods.

Qasem’s family of eight was staying with other displaced families in a rented house, with each family occupying a single room in order to divide the cost. Such arrangements can provide temporary protection but offer little certainty if displacement continues for weeks or months.

In makeshift camps, the difficulties can be even greater. Families may have access to basic food and hygiene supplies through humanitarian organisations, but employment opportunities are scarce. People who previously supported themselves through farming, livestock or local businesses can find themselves dependent on assistance.

The renewed displacement is also affecting children. Save the Children reported that at least 19 children were killed and 49 injured between 1 August and 9 September amid the escalation in violence. The organisation said 117 civilians were killed and 206 injured during that period. It also reported that 175 casualties occurred during a single week from 3 to 9 September, including 43 children.

Save the Children said more than 85,000 people had fled their homes since July, with displacement continuing as fighting intensified. The organisation has warned that the latest violence is placing further pressure on an already fragile health system serving children and families affected by the conflict.

The humanitarian consequences extend beyond immediate physical safety. Displacement can interrupt children’s education, separate families from established support networks and make access to healthcare more difficult. Save the Children’s 2026 assessment of conflict-affected communities in Aden, Lahj and Taiz found that displacement and economic hardship were major barriers to children’s access to education.

Yemen was already facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises before the latest escalation. The UN estimates cited in the supplied report indicate that 22.3 million people in the country require humanitarian assistance and protection services in 2026, including millions of people who have already been displaced.

The new fighting therefore risks deepening existing needs rather than creating an entirely new humanitarian emergency. Communities that have endured years of instability are now being asked to absorb additional displaced families while humanitarian organisations face significant constraints in reaching people in active conflict zones.

Ali Qaid, who manages the executive unit responsible for internally displaced people in Taiz governorate, told the Guardian that displacement from western districts was continuing. He also said that some civilians remained trapped in areas where fighting was active, making it difficult for humanitarian organisations to reach them.

That problem is particularly serious because displacement figures do not necessarily capture everyone affected immediately. Families who remain trapped in conflict zones may not yet have been registered as displaced, while others may move repeatedly as fighting shifts from one area to another.

Yemen’s geography also means that some people seeking safety have attempted to move beyond the country’s borders. The International Organization for Migration monitors movements between Yemen and countries across the Gulf of Aden. Its August data recorded 1,666 migrants leaving Yemen, with most travelling towards Obock in Djibouti. These movements include different categories of migrants and should not be equated directly with the internally displaced population.

For families displaced inside Yemen, however, the immediate question remains whether they can eventually return home.

For Taleb, returning to her village remains a hope, but the continuing fighting has made any timetable uncertain. Qasem similarly indicated that his family would have to wait and assess the situation before deciding whether returning would become possible.

That uncertainty is one of the defining features of displacement in Yemen. A family may leave expecting to remain away for only a few days, only to discover that returning home is impossible for weeks or months. Temporary accommodation can become prolonged displacement, while the loss of livestock, crops, employment and household possessions makes rebuilding increasingly difficult.

Humanitarian organisations have responded with food, hygiene supplies and other emergency assistance, but the needs are growing rapidly. IOM’s displacement tracking system is designed to provide frequent estimates precisely because population movements in emergencies can change quickly and require continued verification.

The latest figures also show why the situation cannot be understood only through the number of people who have crossed borders. Most of the displacement documented in the recent escalation has been internal, with families moving from villages and districts affected by fighting to safer parts of the same governorate or neighbouring areas.

For those families, reaching a safe location is only the first stage of the crisis. They then need somewhere to sleep, food and clean water, healthcare, education for children and a way to earn money. If fighting continues, they may have to move again.

The renewed violence has therefore placed Yemen’s humanitarian system under another severe test. The immediate priority is protecting civilians and reaching people trapped by the fighting, while longer-term assistance will be needed to help displaced families recover their livelihoods and rebuild their lives.

For tens of thousands of people who have left their homes in recent weeks, the future remains uncertain. Their belongings, farms, livestock and communities remain behind them, while the places where they have sought refuge can offer safety without offering permanence.

As fighting continues in parts of Taiz and surrounding areas, the number of displaced people may change rapidly. What is already clear from humanitarian monitoring is that the latest escalation has forced a large number of Yemeni families to make the same decision: leave home in search of safety, even when they have nowhere secure to go next.