Renewed hostilities between Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government have ignited widespread fear among civilians, who worry about a return to the devastating all-out conflict that has plagued the nation for years. A fragile truce established in 2022 had brought a period of relative calm, but recent escalations threaten to plunge the country back into widespread displacement and violence.
Residents in Hodeida province, like Anwar, a father of two, recounted their harrowing experiences of fleeing rebel advances. The recent attacks on Mokha port by Houthi forces have revived painful memories and heightened anxieties about further displacement. "Mokha used to be a safe city and a haven for many Yemenis," Anwar told AFP, expressing his primary concern for his children's safety amidst the growing panic. "The hardest part is not fearing for my own safety, but fearing for my children and family."
The recent upending of the 2022 truce by the Houthi rebels, who have intensified attacks on government-held areas, has drawn Yemen deeper into the regional conflict. The government stated that these actions were retaliatory measures following deadly assaults on military camps in Marib province, Mokha port, and residential areas housing displaced persons. For many, like Najem Hammoud al-Wahbani, a resident of Mokha, the constant presence of Houthi missiles and drones overhead has created an atmosphere of pervasive fear, with the possibility of localized shelling escalating at any moment.
The resumption of conflict has prompted some, like Mohammed Ali, who was displaced from Hodeida to al-Khokha, to consider relocating their families further east to Aden, fearing that any fighting in their current location could "destroy everything, including my future and my children's future." These escalations follow a series of provocations by the Houthi rebels, including their deadliest attacks in years targeting government troops and civilians, particularly in the Marib province, which hosts a significant portion of Yemen's internally displaced population.
For those already displaced, the prospect of renewed war is particularly terrifying. Ali Munif, living in a displacement camp near Marib city since 2021, questioned where he would flee if conflict engulfs the region. Another resident, who requested anonymity, described the recent strikes as shaking buildings and reviving the "fear, anxiety, and despair we experienced at the height of war," underscoring the profound psychological toll and the constant apprehension of becoming a target.
