Escalation of Houthi Attacks in Taiz, Yemen Causes Displacement

Government-Houthi clashes in Taiz have intensified, resulting in the displacement of thousands and impacting critical roadways to the Red Sea coast. Taiz, Yemen – Abdullah Saeed, 47, fled his home in the Maqbanah district west of Taiz in 2022, leaving everything behind and settling in al-Rahabah camp in the Jabal Habashi area, located 90 km (55 miles) south. While he and around 300 other families in the camp struggled to meet their basic needs, they experienced a peaceful life away from the frontlines. However, this changed when battles reached Jabal Habashi. An attack from Yemen’s Houthi rebels early on Thursday targeted the district and other areas in southwest Yemen, with heavy fighting continuing. As the Houthis advanced towards al-Rahabah, Saeed and hundreds of other families fled once again. "Fighting erupted suddenly at night. We were far from the battlefield, but in the morning, we were shocked to see the frontlines near our camp. There was no solution but to take our basic belongings and flee," he told Al Jazeera. "We had a bad experience when we were stuck in the crossfire in 2022, so we didn’t want to experience a similar situation and fled before the battles reached our camp." Saeed noted that not only displaced families at his camp fled but also people from neighboring camps and villages. "We have fled for the second time, but there are also families who fled for the first time. We are all now in dire need of shelter and basic services," said Saeed, who is now staying with relatives at another camp for displaced people. After four years of quiet along Yemen’s frontlines, Saeed had hoped to return to his home in Maqbanah. However, with the potential for all-out war between the Houthis and the Yemeni government, he would be content to return to al-Rahabah, where he had shelter, a source of water, and familiarity. "I do not support any military side, but I hope the battles stop soon and we manage to return to our camp, as all we need now is stability," he said. The Houthis launched an offensive against government forces on the western fronts of Taiz governorate, including positions in Maqbanah district, early Thursday morning, employing missiles and drones before initiating ground fighting described as the fiercest since 2022. The pro-Iranian Houthis advanced across several fronts in Maqbanah, Mawzaa, and Jabal Habashi districts, triggering a new wave of displacement. Saudi-backed government forces reported confronting the attacks and retaking some areas. Military reinforcements, including fighters and military vehicles, have been arriving for both the government and the Houthis. The fighting has intensified, resulting in casualties on both sides. This escalation is the latest in Yemen’s more than decade-long conflict, which has intensified in recent months. The conflict began in 2014 when the Houthis launched a coup against Yemen’s government and seized much of northwest Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. Since early August, the Houthis have launched missile, drone, and ground attacks against government forces across several governorates, including Marib, Taiz, Hodeidah, and al-Dhale. The Houthis have also targeted al-Makha (Mocha) port in an apparent attempt to push government forces out of the southern Red Sea coast, thereby gaining more control over the key waterway where they have been attacking Saudi shipping. Government forces have also conducted attacks against the Houthis across multiple governorates, reporting numerous drone strikes against Houthi targets. The escalating conflict may draw in Saudi Arabia, four years after it last officially conducted airstrikes in Yemen in support of the government. Yahiya Lutf, a pro-government fighter in Jabal Habashi district, confirmed that the Houthis had launched sudden attacks across different fronts in western Taiz governorate but claimed that government forces have retaken several areas. "The Houthis launched these attacks attempting to cut the main road between Taiz city and the Red Sea coast, but they failed," Lutf told Al Jazeera. "Our goal is not only to liberate what they took [on Thursday]; we will press forward beyond that, as our morale is high and we are fully prepared for battle." He added that there were casualties on both sides. "The true outcome of these battles will be clear in the near future," Lutf said. "I call on those reporting Houthi advances to wait, and I promise them good news." Lutf noted that troops from various military units are participating in the battles. The frontlines lie near the main road connecting Taiz city with the Red Sea Coast, which serves as the headquarters for the National Resistance Forces, a government-aligned military faction led by Tareq Saleh, nephew of the late former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. A Houthi source in Sanaa told Al Jazeera that the recent battles are part of the group’s "efforts to break the siege on Yemenis." "We are engaged in battle to break the siege on Yemen, especially at sea. This is not just the goal of Ansar Allah [the Houthis], but the desire of all Yemenis," he said. The source declined to provide further details, while Houthi media outlets have also refrained from publishing details on the fighting. Yemeni journalist Odai al-Dokhaini believes the frontlines hold strategic importance as severing the road linking Taiz to al-Makha – as Houthi fighters attempted on Thursday – would impact both cities. "The Houthis selected these current frontlines for their strategic location," al-Dokhaini said. "If they succeed in isolating the Red Sea coast fronts, they can begin targeting them individually." Yemeni political analyst Abdulsattar al-Shamiri connected the developments to broader regional events, particularly the US war on Iran. "This battle cannot be viewed in isolation," al-Shamiri said. "The Houthis have been pushing to seize more territory along the Red Sea." He believes that the attacks are part of a broader strategy by Iran and its allies to project strength, "giving Tehran another point of leverage alongside the Strait of Hormuz."