A new wave of fighting in Yemen has forced more than 46,000 people to flee their homes in the past week, further deepening a humanitarian crisis in a country already devastated by years of conflict and economic hardship. The escalation pits the Iran-backed Houthi militia, which controls much of northern Yemen, against the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government, intensifying the regional tensions that emerged earlier this year following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

In the southern province of Taiz, residents like Al-Megdad Hashem were forced to abandon their homes under the cover of shelling. Hashem recounted how after one night of heavy bombardment, the next morning shells landed near his house, injuring two family members. With few options for transport, they packed into a truck typically used for construction materials to seek medical care, carrying only a small bag of belongings as they fled.

The fragile cease-fire brokered by the United Nations in 2022, which had divided Yemen roughly between Houthi and government control, has effectively collapsed as fighting spreads. This renewed violence compounds what the U.N. describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies. The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) has suspended food aid deliveries and halved its cash assistance due to funding shortages, with the agency’s acting executive director, Carl Skau, reporting scenes of desperation during a recent visit to displacement camps. Families are selling personal possessions to buy food, children are missing school, and clinics are overcrowded with malnourished children.

The crisis is exacerbated by multiple factors. Yemen relies heavily on imports for food, but regional shipping disruptions have driven up prices. In addition, extreme weather events such as droughts and floods have damaged local agriculture, severely limiting domestic food production.

Even before the recent fighting, an estimated 4.5 million Yemenis had been displaced, nearly half of the country’s health facilities were nonfunctional, and attacks on aid workers had curtailed U.N. operations, particularly in Houthi-held areas. The renewed conflict has resulted in at least 14 civilian deaths, including two children, according to the U.N.

Recent military gains by Houthi forces include capturing the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha and an adjoining island, giving the militia control over Bab al-Mandab, a critical maritime chokepoint for global oil shipments. Following these developments, Lt. Gen. Tareq Saleh, a senior commander allied with the Yemeni government, reportedly left the country for Saudi Arabia, where he is said to be coordinating efforts against the Houthis. The U.N. compound in Mokha sustained an attack this week, resulting in stolen vehicles, though local Houthi officials asserted they have ordered their return.

Houthi forces have also targeted Saudi oil sites, contributing to recent spikes in global oil prices. The militia’s media outlet claimed Saudi airstrikes hit Mokha twice this past week; the Saudi government did not immediately respond to inquiries.

The humanitarian toll continues to mount. More than 18 million Yemenis face acute food insecurity, with approximately 2.2 million children suffering from severe malnutrition. Public health conditions remain precarious, illustrated by over 17,600 reported measles cases in the first half of 2024. The United Nations estimates Yemen requires $2.2 billion in aid to address the crisis but has received only 20 percent of that amount to date.