Some 125,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since early September 2026 as fighting between government forces and the Houthis has expanded, according to the latest data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Families have left their homes and camps to which they had previously been displaced, seeking safer areas inside the country or crossing the sea to Djibouti.
UN monitors the impact of the escalation on civilians
The UN office said hostilities are forcing people to leave their homes, causing civilian casualties and placing additional pressure on overstretched humanitarian operations. It said the United Nations and its partners had provided aid to thousands of families through September 12, despite difficult operating conditions.
Rising displacement deepens basic services crisis
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said the new displacement wave comes as 4.5 million people remain displaced across Yemen and basic services deteriorate, stressing the need to ensure safe access for life-saving aid. The International Organization for Migration recorded the displacement of 9,280 families, or about 56,000 people, in Taiz governorate.
Lahj ranked second, with 3,225 families comprising more than 19,000 people displaced, most of them from Al-Mudharaba district. It was followed by Al Hudaydah, where 1,374 families comprising more than 8,000 people were displaced, most of them from Hays district. Some people fleeing headed to Aden, while others crossed the sea toward Djibouti’s northern coast, where more than 2,000 Yemenis arrived, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The Yemeni government’s Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons Camps issued an urgent appeal to UN agencies, organizations and donors. It said six governorates—Taiz, Lahj, Al Hudaydah, Aden, Abyan and Shabwah—had received 13,980 families, comprising about 95,324 people, by September 13.
The unit added that displaced families lack shelter, food, safe drinking water, healthcare and protection, while some depend on host communities already facing economic and livelihood pressures. It called for urgent relief and financial assistance.
