The Houthi offensive near Red Sea has forced thousands of Yemenis to flee, with nearly 20,000 people displaced since last week as fighting surged in coastal areas, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Among those uprooted is Salama Saeed, who escaped with one son as shelling and gunfire engulfed their village in Hodeida province. She said she left four adult children behind when they were trapped by the clashes.
In a makeshift shelter built from wood and straw, the woman in her fifties described her terror and loss. “I fled on my own, terrified, on one of my sons’ motorcycles. We have nothing left,” she said, adding that her children remain in their village and have been unable to escape.
Yemen’s long-running war has reignited after a four-year truce collapsed in July, as regional tensions rose during the Iran war. The Iranian-aligned Houthis are pushing to seize territory along the Red Sea, where they have targeted Saudi tankers.
On Tuesday, a series of Houthi attacks set Saudi oil facilities ablaze and wounded dozens, while the rebels reported more than 40 Saudi reprisal strikes on Wednesday.
Saeed and her son have reached a displacement camp in Khokha on the Red Sea coast, about 19 miles from their village. She said aid has been scarce and that repeated displacements have left families exhausted.
“There’s no aid. We’re exhausted,” she said. “Every time we’re displaced from one place, war comes and forces us to leave again.”
Houthi offensive near Red Sea intensifies displacement
Relief groups said the recent surge in hostilities has compounded humanitarian needs in an area already strained by years of conflict. The International Organization for Migration said nearly 20,000 people have been driven from their homes since last week’s escalation.
Residents from the Muthalath al-Udain area and other parts of Hodeida province described heavy shelling and small-arms fire as front lines shifted. Saeed said she continues to fear for her children who remain in the village.
“I weep for them every day,” she said.
Aid workers in Khokha reported growing pressure on shelters and services as new arrivals seek safety along the coast. Saeed asked where her family could go next if the fighting advances again.
“We’re tired of this situation,” she said.
On Tuesday, a series of Houthi attacks set Saudi oil facilities ablaze and wounded dozens, a development closely watched by energy markets as oil hits $100 a barrel as Middle East tensions flare.
The Iranian-aligned Houthis are pushing to seize territory along the Red Sea, where they have targeted Saudi tankers and drawn regional concern from bodies such as the United Nations and governments including the U.S. State Department.