Monthly Briefing/ October2026

The Houthis’ military escalation prompted increased regional efforts to support Saudi Arabia, alongside continued consultations with Iran and ongoing UN efforts. At the same time, a gap persisted between the military objectives announced by the Yemeni government and international calls to halt the attacks and resume the political process.

• UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg warned of escalating fighting in Taiz and called on the Houthi group to halt its offensive, protect civilians and infrastructure, and ensure freedom of movement and humanitarian access. 1 October.
• Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council Dr Rashad al-Alimi announced, in a televised address from Riyadh, the start of military operations to retake areas under Houthi control and restore state authority across the country. He said the government had resorted to the military option after exhausting efforts to achieve peace and stressed that the operations were not targeting civilians in Houthi-controlled areas. The following day, he announced that the operation would be named “Dawn of Yemen”, defining its objectives as restoring state institutions, liberating Sana’a, and ending the coup. 4 October.
• The military spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy called on the Houthis to lay down their arms. 4 October.
• Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan announced an agreement to accelerate the provision and deployment of forces and defensive capabilities in Saudi Arabia during a meeting in Riyadh held as part of arrangements under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. No details were announced regarding the size or missions of the forces. 5 October.
• UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned, in his briefing to the Security Council, that Yemen had returned to full-scale war, with fighting extending to fronts in Taiz, Lahj, Marib, al-Jawf, and Hajjah. He said battlefield gains could not substitute for the negotiations required to resolve the conflict and called on the Council to support mediation efforts. Meanwhile, 72 UN personnel remained detained by the group. 9 October.
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack on King Khalid International Airport, stressing that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law and calling for an immediate halt to such attacks. 11 October.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his intention to refer the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement to parliament to complete the ratification process. He also condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and affirmed Ankara’s support for Riyadh. 12 October.
• US President Donald Trump accused the Houthis of attempting to drive up oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections and suggested that he could seek the Turkish president’s intervention in support of Saudi Arabia, without announcing any US decision to launch new military operations. 13 October.
• The European Council condemned the Houthi escalation in Yemen and attacks on Saudi Arabia, expressed solidarity with the Yemeni government and Riyadh, and called for an end to operations targeting civilian shipping and for increased humanitarian assistance. 16 October.
• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi requested parliamentary authorisation to take action in defence of Saudi Arabia’s security and borders if requested by the Kingdom, affirming Egypt’s readiness to provide support in response to the regional escalation. 17 October.
• The European Parliament, in a resolution on the Houthi escalation, condemned missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly those targeting civilian airports, energy facilities, and residential areas, and warned of their regional and humanitarian repercussions. 22 October.
• The Egyptian House of Representatives approved authorisation for President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to take the necessary measures to support Saudi Arabia during a session chaired by Hisham Badawi. The official announcement did not specify the nature of the measures or the scale of Egypt’s potential involvement. 26 October.
• The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and representatives of the states party to the Mecca Agreement visited Tehran to meet senior Iranian officials, with the aim of reducing tensions, encouraging diplomatic solutions, and supporting Qatari and Pakistani mediation efforts. 26 October.
• UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg concluded a visit to Moscow, where he discussed developments in Yemen and prospects for a settlement. He stressed the need to coordinate regional and international support for a comprehensive settlement and to address the impact of the escalation on the UN-led political process. 28 October.

Fighting was concentrated in the highlands surrounding Taiz and in coastal positions near Bab al-Mandab, with continued air support. Claims regarding territorial control and casualties varied, making it necessary to attribute reported outcomes to their respective sources and to distinguish between forces entering positions and establishing sustained control over them.

• The Houthis took control of the city of al-Turbah, according to testimonies later reported by Human Rights Watch, giving the group control over an area through which the vital Hayjat al-Abd road, a key supply route to Taiz, passes. 4 October.
• Government-aligned Yemeni armed forces announced that they had retaken positions in Dhubab and its airfield near Bab al-Mandab with air support from the Coalition, while the Houthis denied the government’s claim that it had taken control of Mocha. 5 October.
• Videos published between the evening of 11 and 12 October showed Houthi personnel and vehicles inside the centre of al-Misrakh, according to geolocation verification by the Eekad platform. The footage, however, did not establish that the group had taken control of the entire district. 12 October.
• The Saudi-led Coalition warned civilians against remaining near the al-Sabaha oil facility west of the capital, Sana’a, before carrying out airstrikes on the site. Houthi-affiliated media reported that facilities belonging to the oil company had been targeted. 13 October.
• Local authorities in Shabwa announced that the death toll from the attack on al-Alam camp had risen to 73, while the search continued for 14 missing personnel. The attack targeted new members of the Internal Security Forces while they were undergoing training. 20 October.
• The Coalition announced that it had destroyed five tunnels used to store ballistic missiles, four launch platforms, and a missile storage facility, as well as targeting Houthi fortifications and supply lines, as part of an operation it said was aimed at neutralising sources of threat. 26 October.
• The media centre of the Taiz Military Axis announced that government-aligned Yemeni armed forces and the Popular Resistance had repelled an attack on the villages of Kahlan and Hamma in al-Misrakh district, amid shelling of residents’ homes. 28 October.
• The media centre of the Yemeni Armed Forces announced airstrikes on Houthis positions and vehicles in the Kahlan area and Jabal al-Armah in Jabal Habashi district, as part of ongoing operations on the Taiz fronts. 28 October.
• The Yemeni Armed Forces announced that they had carried out 749 targeting operations within 24 hours, neutralising 239 personnel and destroying or disabling 117 vehicles and pieces of equipment. 28 October.

Attacks on airports and civilian facilities broadened the scope of the escalation and its impact on transport and public safety. Casualty figures for some incidents differed between initial statements and later updates, while claims regarding strikes on specific targets still require independent verification. 

• A passenger aircraft was heavily damaged at King Khalid International Airport amid an escalation in Houthis attacks on Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters, which verified footage showing fire and smoke inside the airport. 8 October
• Twelve people were killed and more than 300 injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport, according to the Saudi casualty figures cited by the UN Special Envoy, while later reports indicated that the death toll had risen to 13. 10 October
• The Yemeni government announced that five people were killed and 16 injured in an attack on the Maashiq Palace in Aden, confirming that the prime minister and cabinet ministers were unharmed. The Houthi group, meanwhile, said it had targeted a headquarters for Saudi military operations. 15 October
• The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation announced that one person was killed and eight injured in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, with material damage still under assessment, according to ABC News. 21 October
• The Coalition announced that it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards Riyadh, as explosions were heard and residents received mobile phone alerts, according to Xinhua News Agency. 26 October
• Yemen’s Ministry of Transport said that the Houthis had targeted Aden International Airport twice with ballistic missiles, while the government called for the protection of civilian airports, the documentation of such attacks, and their referral to the relevant international bodies. 29 October

Disruptions to roads in Taiz drove up the cost of goods and reduced supplies, while the wide disparity between exchange rates in the two currency markets persisted. The economic reform programme continues to face constraints arising from the war and institutional fragmentation.

• The World Food Programme warned of a deterioration in households’ ability to purchase food, reporting that monitoring in accessible areas showed that 74% of households were unable to meet their basic food needs, the highest level recorded during the year. 2 October.
• The International Monetary Fund’s management approved an 18-month Staff-Monitored Program for Yemen, without direct financing, aimed at supporting economic stability, strengthening revenue mobilisation and public financial management, and building institutional capacity. The IMF projected a 1.5% contraction in real GDP in 2026. 7 October.
• The Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen reported that prices of remaining food and fuel supplies in Taiz had more than doubled, warning of the impact of road closures, insecurity, and the blockade on access to essential supplies. 20 October.
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the price of water delivered by tanker trucks in Taiz had tripled, while water production had fallen by around half due to fuel shortages and transport restrictions. 23 October.
• In government-controlled areas, the US dollar was trading at YER 1,558 for buying and YER 1,582 for selling, compared with YER 533 for buying and YER 535 for selling in areas under Houthis control. 26 October

Reports of abuses against civilians and disruptions to supply routes and medical services increased. Figures reported by human rights organisations and government bodies vary according to their monitoring periods and methodologies, while reports of the use of toxic substances remain in need of independent technical investigation.

• Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reported that the Houthi group had referred eight human rights and humanitarian workers for criminal prosecution on espionage charges that could carry the death penalty, and called for their release. 6 October.
• Women Journalists Without Chains documented the deaths of 60 civilians and injuries to more than 138 others in Taiz between 1 September and 20 October, according to its monitoring. The organisation accused the Houthi group of shelling homes and villages and obstructing efforts to evacuate and treat the wounded. 22 October.
• Amnesty International called on the  to immediately reopen roads in Taiz, stressing the need to allow the passage of humanitarian aid and essential goods and to ensure that civilians wishing to leave can do so freely and safely. 22 October.
• The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms reported documenting 1,891 violations attributed to the Houthis in Taiz between 1 September and 22 October, including killings, injuries, abductions, enforced disappearances, destruction of property, and child recruitment. 23 October.
• Human Rights Watch accused the  of blowing up part of the Hayjat al-Abd road on 18 October, warning that the attack could constitute a war crime if it was intended to deprive civilians of objects indispensable to their survival. 26 October.
• The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms reported documenting 75 violations in Taiz over a 48-hour period, including the deaths of nine civilians, injuries to 24, and the abduction of 11, as well as the destruction of homes and property. 28 October.
• The Taiz Human Rights Center called for urgent intervention to protect civilians in Kahlan, al-Aqrud, al-Rahn, and al-Aridah, warning that sustained and intensive shelling and the ongoing blockade were obstructing the evacuation and treatment of the wounded and placing residents at risk. 28 October.
• The Taiz local authority called for a technical investigation into reports that shells suspected of containing toxic substances had been used in al-Aqrud and Kahlan, following reported cases of suffocation and loss of consciousness. No findings were announced confirming the nature of the substances used. 29 October.

Road closures and fuel shortages turned the escalation in Taiz into a crisis affecting food, water, and healthcare. Rising displacement coincided with declining humanitarian access, while the continuation of some essential services became increasingly dependent on the entry of basic supplies.

• UNICEF warned that restrictions on the movement of civilians and supplies around Taiz were affecting humanitarian conditions, noting that 98 health facilities in the governorate were either operating partially or had ceased functioning, while 85 schools in Lahj had closed because of the fighting. 11 October.
• The World Food Programme reported that assistance could no longer reach 800,000 people because of fighting and road closures, including more than 600,000 people in Taiz, and warned that food stocks were declining in inaccessible areas. 14 October.
• UNICEF warned that fighting and fuel shortages were threatening water systems serving around three million people in Taiz, including 1.6 million children, amid growing needs among displaced families and host communities. 20 October.
• The Humanitarian Coordinator warned that the health system in Taiz was nearing collapse because of shortages of power and oxygen, and called for safe corridors to allow the unhindered delivery of food, medicine, fuel, and humanitarian assistance. 20 October.
• The World Health Organization reported that 42 health facilities in Taiz city were facing severe shortages of fuel, oxygen, and medicines, threatening emergency surgery, dialysis, intensive care, and maternal and newborn services. 23 October.
• The European Commission announced an additional €22.5 million in humanitarian assistance for Yemen, on top of €87.5 million already allocated for 2026, to support food assistance, healthcare, water, protection, and the response to displacement. 23 October.
• Médecins Sans Frontières reported that a strike occurred around 150 metres from Mocha General Hospital, damaging the building and causing panic. The organisation confirmed that staff and patients were unharmed and warned of declining access to healthcare. 26 October.
• The UN Refugee Agency reported that displacement caused by the escalation had risen to 281,000 people, in addition to more than 5.2 million people already displaced, and said that fighting and road closures were limiting access to Taiz. 27 October.
• The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that Yemen’s health system had reached a critical stage, with hospitals near the front lines receiving as many as 700 war-wounded patients in one week and facing shortages of essential medical supplies, according to Reuters. 29 October.