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The 12th anniversary of the Houthis’ takeover of Sana’a coincides with a military escalation along the western coast and in al-Bayda, al-Jawf and Ma’rib, as government officials speak of plans to advance towards the capital. The clashes follow four years of relative calm, amid changes to the map of control and the extension of attacks to Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea.
The Yemeni Armed Forces said air strikes on Sunday targeted Houthi personnel and equipment in Al Bayda governorate, destroying missile launchers, a communications system and weapons stores. The strikes came amid escalating fighting and government warnings of a threat to international shipping near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Yemen’s Executive Unit for Internally Displaced Persons Camp Management announced that more than 122,000 people had been displaced across eight governorates as a result of the military escalation. Camps in Marib have received arrivals from other areas, increasing pressure on displacement sites in the governorate, which hosts the largest concentration of displaced people among the areas covered by monitoring operations.
A Yemeni government body documented the displacement of 146,943 people across 8 governorates between 1 and 18 September, amid escalating fighting and growing risks to civilians. The government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees called for urgent assistance, as acute needs persist for shelter, food, water and healthcare.
In Yemen’s Taiz governorate, women-led and community initiatives have been active in collecting food, water, medicines and clothing and sending them to government forces, as renewed clashes with Ansar Allah have continued since early September. The efforts have included convoys to the al-Kadha front west of the governorate, as well as household initiatives and organised committees collecting donations and preparing aid.
Two Houthi-affiliated military sources said experts from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard visited Bab al-Mandab and sites in Mokha to study the installation of radars and oversee tunnel excavation, as fighting intensified between the Houthis and government forces around the Kahboub Mountains overlooking the maritime passage.
Yemeni government forces said they had taken control of positions in Taiz governorate amid continuing clashes and air strikes on several fronts, while the International Organization for Migration said more than 112,000 people had been displaced by the escalation. UN agencies warned of a declining ability to deliver aid and growing health risks facing women and children.
The Houthis acknowledged that a security operation had taken place in Sana’a, while sources reported that an explosion targeted a security facility belonging to the group in the Dhahr Hamir area early on Friday, killing four members, including a commander known as Abu Ahmed al-Madani, and seriously injuring three others.
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms said it had documented 661 violations attributed to the Houthi group in Taiz governorate between 3 and 15 September 2026. They included killings, injuries, abductions, house raids and attacks on civilian facilities, and reportedly resulted in the deaths of 51 civilians, injuries to 62 others and the displacement of thousands of families.
The local authorities in Hodeidah governorate accused the Houthi group of looting humanitarian facilities and programmes in Khokha and areas along the western coast, warning that the disruption of clinics, food and shelter warehouses, and a water-supply project threatens services for thousands of civilians and displaced people and deprives tens of thousands of healthcare and aid assistance.
Yemeni military sources said that army forces on Friday, 18 September 2026, recaptured positions infiltrated by the Houthis on the al-Kadaha and al-Wazi'iyah fronts west of Taiz after clashes lasting several hours. The operations coincided with the downing of a drone and air strikes on positions and gatherings belonging to the group in other parts of the governorate.
Clashes between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis have resumed in Taiz, Lahj and Marib, amid air strikes and competing claims over casualties. The UN has warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis after documenting 55 civilian deaths and injuries since the start of September, while funding for the 2026 response plan stands at just 20 per cent.
Three children were killed and several civilians injured on Thursday in a drone attack targeting Al-Tarirah village in Yemen's Taiz governorate. Yemeni Legal Affairs Minister Ishraq al-Maqtari accused the Houthi group of carrying out the attack, amid the displacement of families from areas where she said the group had resumed its deployment.
The International Organization for Migration recorded the displacement of 17,461 families comprising 104,796 people within Yemen from the start of the military escalation in June through September 15, 2026. Most new displacement was concentrated in Taiz governorate, amid growing needs for shelter, non-food items and protection.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received a report from a westbound oil tanker that a small boat had followed it and attempted to intercept it 75 nautical miles east of Aden. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the incident amid growing concerns about navigation safety near Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea.
The Houthis’ rapid advance along Yemen’s western coast and their capture of positions overlooking Bab al-Mandab gave Iran new leverage, while officials and sources attributed the breakthrough to divisions within the anti-Houthi camp, weak air support and a failure to assess the group’s preparations before the attack.
The UN Security Council held an emergency session to discuss developments in Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea, amid growing concerns over international navigation and the humanitarian situation in Yemen. Participants called for protecting maritime routes and reducing tensions, while supporting a political settlement to the Yemeni crisis.
Yemeni Prime Minister Shaia al-Zindani warned that Houthi escalation now threatens regional security and international interests, calling for stronger cohesion among state institutions. Amid fighting on the western coast, Hodeidah Governor Hassan Taher described recent developments as the result of “a major deception and conspiracy,” without naming the parties he accused of financing and facilitating them.
Shipping data showed the number of vessels tracked in the Strait of Hormuz falling to three on September 15, 2026, amid reports of maritime incidents. Meanwhile, traffic through Bab el-Mandeb continued without a significant change after the Houthis took control of Mayyun Island, with 159 vessels passing through in five days.
A Yemeni military source said the Houthi group had laid naval mines and dug trenches in mountains overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The development comes as the UN Security Council holds an emergency session to discuss regional developments, amid growing concerns over navigation and the displacement of more than 100,000 people since fighting resumed.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 125,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since early September 2026, amid escalating fighting between government forces and the Houthis. The humanitarian response faces severe shortages in funding and supplies, as well as restrictions hindering aid access to affected areas, particularly along the western coast.
Escalating military confrontations in Yemen have triggered widespread displacement across six governorates, while other families have traveled by sea toward countries in the Horn of Africa. The Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons Camps called for urgent humanitarian intervention to provide shelter, food, water and healthcare to the worst-affected groups.
Fighting continued between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi Ansar Allah group on several fronts, alongside airstrikes on positions along the western coast. The United Nations confirmed that the number of displaced people had risen to 150,000, as the humanitarian impact of fighting that shifted front lines in Taiz and Hodeidah governorates widened.
The International Organization for Migration said 93,864 people had recently been displaced across Yemen as the conflict intensified since the beginning of September, with large numbers concentrated in Taiz and Lahj governorates. The organization called on donors to provide urgent support for shelter, water and sanitation services for displaced families.
