Sanaa: The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported Tuesday that approximately 18,500 individuals have been displaced in the past 72 hours due to intensified fighting in Yemen's western provinces of Taiz and Hodeidah since September 3.

According to Anadolu Agency, the IOM in Yemen announced on the US social media platform X that the number of displaced individuals continues to rise as families flee the renewed hostilities. The organization highlighted reports of civilian casualties, including deaths and injuries, amidst the escalating clashes.

Recent developments indicate a surge in military confrontations between government forces and the Houthis across several fronts, particularly in the provinces of Taiz, Al-Jawf, Al-Bayda, and Hodeidah. The IOM warned that the number of displaced people is "increasing by the hour," as families continue to arrive in host communities and displacement sites.

IOM Yemen Chief of Mission Abdusattor Esoev expressed concern over the plight of displaced families, stating they are 'arriving with nothing: no shelter, no food, no way to know if it's safe to go back.' He further noted the challenges some families face in safely leaving frontline areas due to ongoing fighting and insecurity along their routes.

Yemen experienced a relative period of calm since April 2022 after nearly 12 years of conflict between government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who took control of the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the country in 2014. However, since late 2023, amid the Gaza war, the Houthis have increasingly engaged in regional hostilities, launching attacks on Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, raising fears of a return to full-scale conflict in Yemen.