A new escalation in the Yemen crisis is unfolding around Taiz, where government forces and Houthi fighters are preparing for further clashes after an uneasy ceasefire collapsed. A reporting team travelling with pro-government troops was forced to take cover when a drone approached, followed minutes later by the sound of multiple strikes.
The incident offers a stark glimpse into the danger facing civilians and combatants in south-western Yemen. As front lines shift around Taiz and the strategic Red Sea coast, hospitals are filling, families are fleeing, and aid agencies warn that thousands more people could be displaced.
Yemen crisis intensifies around Taiz
Taiz is Yemen’s third-largest city and a major cultural and transport centre. Its location between Houthi-held territory in the north and government-controlled areas in the south makes it one of the country’s most important battlefields.
Government forces currently hold much of the city, while Houthi positions surround it from several directions. Recent fighting has been particularly intense on western approaches, where control of high ground could determine access to routes leading south and toward Mokha.
The latest escalation followed the Houthi seizure of Mokha, a strategic Red Sea port west of Taiz. The capture of territory overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait has raised concerns about disruption to a vital shipping corridor connecting Europe and Asia, while fears over regional instability have also contributed to higher oil prices.
Drones and artillery add to civilian danger
Houthi forces have increasingly used drones alongside missiles and other weapons. On the front line south-west of Taiz, soldiers described drone activity as a warning sign often followed by attacks. The precise locations of several strikes could not immediately be established, but the sequence underlined the uncertainty faced by troops and residents.
Villages near the front line are largely deserted. Families have abandoned homes on mountain slopes to escape shelling, although some residents remain behind to care for livestock. One local man said his children had been sent to a displacement camp while he stayed with relatives to protect their animals and preserve their only source of food.
Families flee as Yemen displacement rises
The humanitarian consequences of the renewed fighting are severe. The United Nations refugee agency reported that more than 130,000 people had been displaced across Yemen during the month covered by the report, in addition to approximately 5.2 million people already displaced by the wider civil war.
At a camp south of Taiz, aid workers and residents reported the arrival of hundreds of tents and around 200 families in just 10 days. Many had fled Mokha and nearby villages with little more than the clothes they were wearing.
- Families described walking for hours or days under fire.
- Some people became separated from relatives during the escape.
- People with disabilities faced particular difficulty reaching safety.
- Displaced families arrived without reliable shelter, bedding or food.
One displaced woman said she crawled for two days after being separated from her family. A motorcyclist eventually took her to the camp, where she was left without permanent accommodation or news of her relatives.
Children among those injured
Al-Thawra hospital in Taiz was treating both fighters and civilians, with every intensive-care bed observed by the reporting team occupied. Among the patients was a 12-year-old girl injured by shrapnel while herding goats. Doctors said the head injury had caused serious brain damage.
The conflict has also renewed concerns about the recruitment and use of children. The Houthis agreed to a United Nations action plan in 2022 pledging to end child recruitment, but reports of teenagers serving with armed groups have continued. Government forces have also faced allegations involving young recruits.
Regional powers remain involved
The Yemen conflict remains shaped by outside support. Iran has been identified by Saudi Arabia, Western governments and UN experts as a major supplier of weapons, funding and military advice to the Houthis. Tehran has denied supplying weapons and says its support is political.
A Saudi-led coalition continues to back Yemen’s internationally recognised government with weapons and military assistance. Saudi forces have carried out air strikes against Houthi positions, while Houthi drones and missiles have targeted locations and infrastructure in south-western Saudi Arabia.
The fractured structure of the government side is also visible on the road from Aden to Taiz, where numerous checkpoints are controlled by different commanders. This complicated military landscape makes negotiations, humanitarian access and any future ceasefire more difficult.
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What happens next in the Yemen crisis?
Both sides appear to be reinforcing positions around Taiz. Contacts on the Houthi side reportedly described preparations for a major offensive, while government forces said they were aware of the threat and preparing to respond.
If fighting intensifies, the effects could extend beyond the battlefield. More civilians may be forced from their homes, hospitals could face further pressure, and access to strategic roads and ports could become even more contested.
The central takeaway is clear: the Yemen crisis is entering another dangerous phase, with Taiz at the centre of renewed military pressure and a growing humanitarian emergency. Any lasting solution will require protection for civilians, humanitarian access and a credible political process capable of replacing armed confrontation with negotiations.
