The UN agency for migration reports that hundreds of thousands of people in western Yemen have been forced to flee their homes over the past two months.
“After years of conflict, families in Yemen are being forced to flee yet again, often with little more than the clothes on their backs,” said Abdusattor Esoev, International Organization for Migration Yemen Chief of Mission. “They urgently need shelter, food, clean water and health care. Without more funding, thousands of families could be left without the help they urgently need.”
The agency reports that over 300,000 people have fled their homes, almost all in the past two months. In July, Saudi Arabia and the forces it supports in Yemen twice attacked the Sanaa airport. Ansar Allah argued the attacks were a violation of the 2022 ceasefire and imposed a blockade of Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, targeted Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones, and went on an offensive against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen.
Ansar Allah has seized significant territory from Saudi-backed forces and caused major disruptions to the kingdom’s energy infrastructure.
In 2014, Ansar Allah seized the capital city and took control over most populated regions in Yemen. Initially, the US worked with Ansar Allah to target Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. However, Saudi Arabia viewed Ansar Allah’s control of Yemen as problematic. Riyadh backs a government-in-exile, which it attempted to install in power with a mass bombing campaign, a blockade, and by backing militias opposed to Ansar Allah.
The Barack Obama administration elected to support Saudi’s war to alleviate Riyadh’s concerns over the Iran Nuclear Deal. The war killed hundreds of thousands of people, caused a cholera epidemic, and the blockade resulted in widespread malnutrition among children.
During the war, Ansar Allah developed missile and drone capabilities that were able to cause significant damage to Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure. While Riyadh and Sanaa agreed to a ceasefire in 2022, they have not reached an agreement to end the war.
