Yemen displacement tops 250K as Houthis tighten siege on Taiz: What to know

Adam Lucente

Oct 20, 2026

Yemenis line up to refill gas bottles at a refilling station in Taiz, on Oct. 19, 2026. — Yemenis line up to refill gas bottles at a refilling station in Taiz, on Oct. 19, 2026, as the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis has launched hundreds of raids in Yemen in support of the internationally recognized government since the start of the renewed fighting in the long-running civil war. — Ahmad AL-BASHA / AFP via Getty Images

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The United Nations said Tuesday that more than 250,000 people have been displaced by the recent fighting in Yemen, as the Houthis escalate efforts to defeat government forces in war-torn Taiz and strike deep inside Saudi Arabia.

The UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, said that the number of those displaced between the start of August and Oct. 17 has exceeded 250,000. The displacement is centered in Taiz province, from where 76% of the newly displaced people fled. The province also hosts 52% of the newly displaced. Lahj province hosts 23% of those displaced, followed by Aden at 13%, UNHCR said.

The provinces are all located in southwest Yemen.

The majority of those displaced recently remain within Yemen, but more than 3,800 Yemenis have fled to Djibouti, and more than 240 have escaped to Somalia since August, according to the agency.