Yemen

Escalating fighting in Yemen has displaced more than 200,000 people, according to government estimates, while official field data recorded about 198,000 displaced people by the end of September. Displacement continued in early October as fighting expanded and humanitarian needs rose in affected governorates and areas receiving fleeing families.

Yemen's government forces launched Operation Yemen Dawn on 5 October 2026 to restore state institutions and retake the capital, Sana'a, alongside operations to secure Bab al-Mandab and Mokha. They announced advances and losses among the Houthis, while the Houthis denied any progress by the government forces on the western coast.

The Yemeni government discussed developments in Operation Dawn of Yemen in Aden and ordered heightened readiness and protection for vital facilities, while the Human Rights Ministry accused the Houthis of attacking Aden airport with two ballistic missiles and booby-trapped drones. The Houthis said the attack targeted Saudi military supplies at Badr Camp near the airport.

Yemen's government forces announced control of strategic high ground overlooking al-Mansoura Mountain in Al-Wazi'iyah District, Taiz Governorate, while the International Organization for Migration said fighting displaced more than 184,000 people between 1 August and 4 October 2026, amid rising casualties and expanding health and humanitarian needs.

Clashes between Yemen’s government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Houthi group have expanded to 18 of the country’s 22 governorates, with fighting intensifying in Taiz, Marib and Al Jawf. The World Health Organisation reported 959 deaths and 4,207 injuries since August, while nearly 198,000 people have been displaced.

Yemeni Prime Minister Shayea Mohsen al-Zindani said on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, that restoring state authority is linked to protecting the security of Yemen and the region and securing international navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. He made the remarks while following developments on the second day of Operation Yemen Dawn and speaking with military and field commanders on several fronts.

The Yemeni armed forces announced continued advances for a second day as part of Operation Yemen’s Dawn in southern Marib, saying they had seized positions, mountain ranges and desert areas. A military source said the fighting left dozens of Houthis dead, wounded or captured, and resulted in combat equipment being destroyed or disabled and a drone being shot down.

Yemeni government forces announced that they had taken control of mountain positions in Hayfan and advanced towards Al Wazi'iyah after retaking positions near Bab al Mandab, while the Houthis said they continued to retain their battlefield gains. The movements are significant because of the high ground overlooking routes leading to Mokha, alongside clashes in Taiz, Marib and Al Jawf.

Yemeni government forces said they had taken control of three positions in Hayfan district, south of Taiz, as part of Operation Yemen’s Dawn, while the Houthis said they were retaining their territorial gains. The Saudi-led coalition announced continued air support and the destruction of military targets, storage facilities and missile launchers in several governorates.

The Taiz Axis Media Centre said its forces, backed by the popular resistance, carried out five offensive operations as part of Operation Yemen Dawn, killing about 100 Houthi group members and wounding 150 others, while also bringing down five drones and destroying or disabling vehicles and a tank.

The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said its naval forces had carried out a military operation against Houthi targets in Hudaydah governorate, destroying weapons depots and storage facilities for explosive boats and naval mines, and thwarting imminent attacks on waterways south of the Red Sea.

Clashes between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis have resumed in several provinces, while fighting has focused on Taiz for the fourth consecutive day. The government forces’ media centre announced advances on the Sama front and the recapture of al-Hosn Mountain, as well as the repulsion of an attack on Han Mountain west of the province.

Forces affiliated with Yemen’s internationally recognised government announced the launch of what they described as a strategic offensive towards Sanaa as part of Operation Yemen Dawn. The announcement coincided with operations in Dhubab and Bab al-Mandab, during which government forces said they made field gains with air support from the Saudi-led coalition.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would honour its security commitments to Saudi Arabia, describing the ongoing operations in Yemen as a counter-attack against Houthi attacks. His remarks came as Operation Yemen Dawn began with air support from the coalition, aiming to retake state areas and institutions and secure the vicinity of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Yemeni Prime Minister Shaia al-Zindani has directed ministries and local authorities to prepare urgent plans to restore institutions and services in areas retaken by government forces, alongside Operation Yemen Dawn. The arrangements cover security, services, salaries, relief and recovery, with an emphasis on protecting civilians and property and preventing administrative vacuums, chaos and reprisals.

The humanitarian crisis in Yemen’s southern Taiz governorate has worsened as the number of displaced people surpasses 100,000, amid intensifying battles and Houthi advances along the western coast. Dozens of patients are struggling to return to their areas, while displacement camps lack services and aid despite the presence of around 20 organisations.

Military and government sources said Saudi-backed Yemeni forces had taken control of large parts of Dhu Bab district and key positions near the Bab al-Mandab Strait as part of an offensive aimed at reversing Houthi gains on the western coast, while media outlets loyal to the group denied that any such advance had been made.

The Yemeni Armed Forces said 1,122 operations targeted military positions and equipment belonging to the Houthis in Saada, Al Jawf, Taiz and the coast, announcing that 1,747 members had been neutralised and 364 military vehicles, pieces of equipment, transport vehicles and supply vehicles had been destroyed or damaged, as part of comprehensive military operations announced by President of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al Alimi.

Yemeni government forces announced the start of what they called the “Battle for Liberation” to restore state institutions and areas under the control of Ansar Allah (the Houthis), following a speech by Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi. The Saudi-led coalition reaffirmed its operational support as fighting intensified and warnings grew over worsening displacement and humanitarian needs.

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi announced the launch of military operations aimed at retaking the remaining areas under Houthi control and extending the authority of state institutions, as fighting escalates on the Taiz and western coast fronts and the group advances near the road linking Taiz and Aden.

Mines and war remnants continue to endanger civilian movement in Yemen, forcing people from closed roads onto rugged desert and mountain routes. A rights organisation documented 452 civilian deaths and injuries in Marib over 10 years, while treatment, rehabilitation and clearance operations continue in several governorates.

Fighting has intensified in Yemen as government forces announced strikes on Houthi positions in several provinces and the capture of areas south of Taiz, while the group said it had attacked an Aramco facility in Riyadh, a claim denied by the Coalition to Support Legitimacy. The developments came amid widening displacement and a worsening humanitarian crisis.

The Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen rejected Houthi claims that Riyadh had been targeted, saying the group was attempting to divert attention from its losses in Taiz and on other fronts, as Yemeni forces fought battles on the western coast and carried out air and ground operations in several areas.

Yemeni government forces announced 257 targeting operations against Houthi positions, movements and military capabilities in several governorates. They said preliminary field estimates indicated that at least 700 personnel had been neutralised and 170 combat vehicles and assets destroyed, amid continuing battles on fronts in Taiz governorate.