Fighting intensifies in Yemen as humanitarian crisis deepens

By Nathan Morley

Fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters has intensified across several fronts in Yemen, as a deepening humanitarian crisis leaves hospitals short of essential supplies and displaces hundreds of thousands of people.

The conflict has escalated sharply since the Houthis seized strategic territory from forces loyal to the internationally recognized government along the Red Sea coast last month.

Eight government-aligned soldiers were killed in heavy clashes on the al-Maqa-tirah front on Sunday, according to reports.

In Taiz, government forces said they killed 12 Houthi fighters after days of fighting.

Listen to Nathan Morley's report {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "AudioObject","@id": "https://media.vaticannews.va/media2/audio/s1/2026/10/18/16/139320763_F139320763.mp3","name": "Audio","description": "Audio","uploadDate" : "2026-10-18T16:08:31.741+02:00","thumbnailUrl" : "https://www.vaticannews.va/etc/designs/vatican-news/release/library/main/images/audio-overlay.250.141.png"} A growing humanitarian crisis

In related news, the United Nations World Health Organization said 12 hospitals in Taiz were running out of oxygen and medicines, while stocks of surgical supplies had been exhausted.

The agency warned of an urgent need for electricity and oxygen, particularly to support dialysis and intensive care patients, as cholera cases increase.

The United Nations' International Organization for Migration said more than 233,000 people had been displaced since the conflict began in June, with more than half of them in Taiz, according to IOM spokesperson Zoe Brennan.

About 110,000 children have been displaced since the escalation began in early September, the agency said.

It added that 30 children had been confirmed dead since the fighting intensified.

Earlier this month, the WHO said it urgently needed $31 million to provide aid in Yemen, up from an initial appeal for $9 million.