Yemen: Military escalation in the west of the country and displacement of hundreds of thousands

Military confrontations renewed in Yemen as government forces announced repelling a Houthi attack in Lahij, and airstrikes targeted Houthi reinforcements in Taiz, amid the displacement of more than 340,000 people since last August.

Military confrontations renewed in Yemen on Saturday, as government forces announced repelling a Houthi attack in Lahij governorate, southwest of the country. The forces posted a video on their Facebook account showing Houthi elements fleeing after the attack was repelled. In Taiz, the government-run Saba News Agency reported that warplanes launched airstrikes targeting Houthi reinforcements in Wadi al-Sahara in the Shamayateen district, without specifying the executing party or the results of the strikes. In a separate development, Saba announced that Yemeni emergency forces seized a large shipment of drone parts, which they said was on its way to the Houthis, without specifying the location or timing of the seizure. These developments come amid a military escalation in western Yemeni governorates, with changes in front lines and increasing displacement of the population. On the humanitarian front, a statement issued by the International Organization for Migration on Friday evening said that more than 340,000 people have been forced to leave their homes since last August due to ongoing fighting.