Yemen Fighting Displaces Thousands as Aid Groups Warn of Worsening Crisis

Renewed fighting between Houthi rebels and Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen has killed at least 15 children and wounded 14 others over the past three weeks, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Akhil Iyer, UNICEF's representative in Yemen, said an estimated 71,000 children have been forced out of their homes. Most of them are displaced in the southwestern province of Taiz, where ongoing fighting prevents them from moving to safer areas.

Iyer's comments came after he visited a displacement centre in Aden.

At the Al-Firdous camp in Aden, families arriving by minibus wait their turn to be assigned a tent, while humanitarian teams distribute food aid. Conditions in the camp remain precarious for the thousands of people living there.

Ali Muhammad, a displaced Yemeni citizen who suffers from kidney disease, said he had a severe episode the previous night but no transport or emergency rescue services were available in the camp. He said rapid or emergency intervention is essential for residents suffering from kidney issues, respiratory problems, shortness of breath, hypertension, diabetes and other ailments.

An ambulance affiliated with the World Health Organization was seen entering the camp.

In Taiz governorate, tents have been set up in the rural mountainous area of Al-Mashawalah, where displaced children sit under canvas and a woman cooks by burning wood.

Yousef Abdulhamid, a displaced Yemeni citizen, said he and his family fled airstrikes, shrapnel, mortars and artillery, leaving their home on foot and crossing the mountains until they reached the village of Al-Mashawalah.

Saeeda Ali, another displaced Yemeni, described the situation as war. She said families were scattered, abandoning their homes and fleeing across the mountains with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

According to the latest UNICEF figures, children make up more than half of the nearly 134,000 people forced to flee their homes since August 1, a figure recorded by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.