Fighting intensifies across Yemen as humanitarian crisis deepens

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkPeople crowd at a minibus station used by the displaced to leave the city, in Taiz, Yemen, on October 15, 2026 [Marzouq al-Jabri/AP Photo]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 18 Oct 202618 Oct 2026Fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters has intensified across multiple fronts in Yemen amid a spiralling humanitarian crisis.Yemen’s war has escalated sharply since the Houthis, an armed group also known as Ansar Allah (Arabic for Supporters of God), seized strategic territory from forces loyal to the country’s internationally recognised government along the Red Sea coast last month.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3UK police rule out probe into Palestine Action post by PM adviser’s wifelist 2 of 3AI tool helps stranded protesters find their way home in the Indian capitallist 3 of 3Israel’s ties with Europe are fraying. Can its election change that?end of listGovernment forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, responded to the losses with a counteroffensive, and then launched the “Dawn of Yemen” operation, which aims to recapture Houthi-held territory, including the capital, Sanaa, seized by the Iran-aligned group in 2014.In the latest battles, eight soldiers loyal to the internationally recognised Yemeni government were killed during heavy engagements on the al-Maqatirah front in Lahij governorate, the government-affiliated Tur al-Bahah military axis said in a statement on Saturday.In Taiz governorate, government troops said they killed 12 Houthi fighters in al-Aqroud, following days of clashes on the outskirts of Taiz city, where Saudi Arabia-backed government forces reported repelling Houthi advances and inflicting heavy losses on the group.Elsewhere in Taiz, government forces said they broke a Houthi attack on the al-Shaqab front, while government-aligned Homeland Shield Forces reported destroying a Houthi supply vehicle with a drone in al-Wazziyah. The Southern Giants Brigades also said they targeted Houthi positions with precision strikes in al-Madaribah, near the Lahij border.Meanwhile, government troops and allied Popular Resistance fighters pressed ahead with their offensive in al-Jawf and Marib.Military officials reported using artillery barrages and drone strikes against Houthi military positions, barracks and troop assemblies in al-Jawf, while coalition aircraft bombed Houthi command hubs and supply depots.Government artillery and missile units also targeted Houthi lines in Marib.Saudi helicopter crashesOn the aerial front, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that the group’s air defence forces brought down a Saudi reconnaissance drone over the governorate of Hajjah. He identified the aircraft as a Turkish-manufactured Lentatek Karayel drone, saying it was the fourth of its kind downed since the latest escalation began.A Houthi fighter carries his rifle during a rally in support of the group, in Sanaa, Yemen, on October 9, 2026 [Osamah Abdulrahman/AP Photo]The Houthis also claimed they shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter in the kingdom’s border province of Najran.Saudi-led coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said an AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter had crashed in Najran due to a technical malfunction, killing two crew members.Houthi media also reported 10 Saudi air strikes targeting sites in Saada governorate.Off the coast of al-Mukalla, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported that at least seven armed men on board a skiff attacked a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker. They fired two shots at the tanker before the vessel’s onboard security detail returned two warning shots, forcing the attackers to change course and disengage.Worsening humanitarian crisisMeanwhile, the human cost of the conflict continues to rise, with humanitarian agencies warning of worsening conditions for civilians.According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 233,000 people have been displaced since fighting escalated in Yemen, including about 121,000 in Taiz governorate alone.The World Health Organization has also warned that Taiz city has become functionally isolated, with its 12 hospitals holding fuel for only four days, no surgical supplies, and facing critical shortages of oxygen and medicine amid a growing cholera outbreak.The displacement crisis has spread to East Africa, with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) confirming that more than 4,000 refugees have reached the region — 3,800 in Djibouti and roughly 200 in Somalia. The UNHCR also reported that health workers are treating a cholera outbreak at Djibouti’s Markazi camp, where 31 cases and one death have been recorded.