Yemen: Over 2,600 Families Displaced in 8 Months Amid Houthi Escalation

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that over 2,600 Yemeni families, comprising approximately 15,786 individuals, were displaced in the first eight months of the current year. The figures highlight a significant increase in displacement during August, a period marked by intensified Houthi militia activity across several governorates.

According to the IOM's report released on Tuesday, its Displacement Tracking Matrix in Yemen recorded a total of 2,631 families (15,786 individuals) displaced between January 1 and August 29. Previous IOM data indicated that 1,664 families had been displaced in the preceding seven months, suggesting that 967 new families were displaced in August alone. This surge coincided with Houthi escalations in key governorates, notably Taiz, Hodeidah, and Marib.

The cumulative statistics do not include evacuations from displacement camps in the Mawza district, west of Taiz, which occurred on August 25 and 26. These evacuations were prompted by security concerns stemming from recent Houthi escalations. A separate IOM report indicated that 227 families were displaced from existing camps to other sites within the same district.

On a weekly basis, the IOM observed that 274 families (1,644 individuals) were displaced at least once between August 23 and August 29. The majority of this new displacement originated from western rural Taiz and its coastal areas, including Maqbanah, Mawza, and Mokha, as well as southern districts of Hodeidah such as Hays, Al-Jarrahi, and Jabal Ras, and from Ibb. These families predominantly sought refuge in Taiz (215 families), Hodeidah (23 families), Marib (17 families), Lahj (12 families), and Hadramaut (7 families).

Conflict-related reasons were cited as the primary driver for new displacements, accounting for 95% of cases (261 families). Economic factors were identified as the cause for the displacement of 4% of families (12 families). The IOM also noted the registration of an additional 116 displaced families from previous reporting periods in Taiz (76 families), Lahj (18 families), Hodeidah (12 families), and Marib (10 families), which have been incorporated into the year-to-date cumulative displacement figures.