Yemen Coast Battle Rages, Over 82,000 Flee in September

(MENAFN) Fighting between Yemeni government forces and Houthi militants is escalating sharply along the country's western coastline, as airstrikes and ground combat exact a heavy toll on both sides and drive tens of thousands of civilians from their homes.

The exodus from coastal areas is accelerating. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that more than 82,000 people have fled since the start of September, with over 2,000 already reaching Djibouti. Further south, authorities in Aden have launched preparations for a new displacement camp to house the growing number of people uprooted by the conflict.

The Yemeni army says it struck Houthi positions and military hardware in the Mokha and Dhubab areas of western Taiz governorate. Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Majid Al-Nazili, posting on X, said Houthi fighters had been eliminated in a location he called a "zone of destruction."

The airstrikes followed a Houthi announcement claiming control of Mokha — a strategically vital Red Sea port city — along with several islands, including Mayyun Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said 58 airstrikes had struck the governorates of Taiz, Lahij, Al-Jawf, Hajjah, Al-Bayda and Saada within a 24-hour span.

Casualties on both sides have mounted rapidly. The government-aligned National Resistance Forces reported losing 500 soldiers, with roughly 1,500 more wounded, in fierce fighting along the western coast between Aug. 9 and Sept. 10. The group also claims more than 1,000 Houthi fighters have been killed and thousands wounded.

In response to the surging casualties, Yemeni Health Minister Qasim Buhaibeh issued an urgent appeal for blood donations to bolster medical facilities in the interim capital, Aden.

The humanitarian toll continues to climb. Beyond the more than 82,000 displaced from Taiz, Hudaydah and Lahij governorates this month, authorities in Aden are constructing a new camp in the Al-Bureiqa district designed to hold between 3,000 and 5,000 people, offering shelter and basic health care to families escaping Mokha, Hays and Al-Khawkhah.

Amid the escalation, Yemen's Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba ramped up diplomatic outreach, holding a phone call with Somali counterpart Abdisalam Abdi Ali to discuss the deteriorating situation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and Red Sea, as well as mounting threats to international shipping. Somalia reaffirmed its backing for Yemen's sovereignty and regional stability.

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