United Nations officials said nearly 130,000 people have been displaced and more than 100 civilians killed or injured as the conflict in Yemen rapidly escalates.
“We have documented 110 civilian casualties since hostilities escalated in August. And this is in 31 incidents. So in this total of 110 casualties, there are 28 killed and 82 injured,” Shabia Mantoo, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said at a UN press briefing on Friday.
She continued, “These are documented casualties, so they’re not a comprehensive account of the toll. And insecurity and access constraints continue to impede verification, so the actual number is likely to be higher.”
Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Yemen, explained that over 100,000 people have been forced from their homes. “As of today, the DTM team [has] reported over 112,000 people displaced, the majority of them within the two weeks,” he said.
On Monday, IOM released new data saying the number of displaced had climbed to 130,000. “Nearly 130,000 people have been forced from their homes in just a few weeks. Many have already moved more than once to find safety,” said Othman Belbeisi, IOM Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “The numbers keep climbing. On 18 September we recorded 118,086 displaced people. Three days later, the figure has risen by 11,352.”
While most people forced from their homes remain internally displaced, over 3,000 people have fled Yemen for Djibouti.
The war has led to more people in Yemen relying on aid distribution. “In Yemen, more than 22 million people, nearly half of the population across Yemen, need humanitarian aid. And with the current escalation, that number is rising,” Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) said during Friday’s presser.
The humanitarian crisis has worsened alongside a sharp escalation in fighting.
The war between Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia reignited after Riyadh broke a four-year ceasefire in July. Earlier this month, Ansar Allah launched a major offensive and seized Yemen’s Red Sea coastline from Saudi-backed forces. The conflict has further escalated over the past week as Saudi Arabia and Ansar Allah have traded strikes targeting cities.
On Saturday, the State Department issued a warning to Americans in the Middle East that the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Ansar Allah in Yemen could “escalate rapidly.”
The notice was issued just after Ansar Allah launched a major attack on Riyadh. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a ballistic missile targeting the capital, while smoke and flames were reported near King Khalid International Airport. Ansar Allah said it targeted “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and caused “massive fires.”
Following the attack, a Turkish official said Ankara was willing to provide Riyadh with military assistance. “We see there are very serious attacks on Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty. We have an alliance agreement in our pact. We are in serious solidarity on this point.” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan continued, “They may have some military needs, especially on some technical issues. We would have no issues in meeting these.”
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a mutual defense pact earlier this year. So far, neither Turkey nor Pakistan has directly intervened in Saudi Arabia following attacks from Iran and Ansar Allah. Pakistani officials said last week they were preparing to assist Saudi Arabia.
On Sunday, senior Ansar Allah official Mohamed al-Bukhaiti warned other countries against joining the conflict, saying the group is currently at war only with Saudi Arabia.
