UN: Over 281,000 displaced in Yemen since August amid urgent shelter and water needs

More than 281,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since the beginning of August, with over half now residing in Taiz province. Three-quarters of the displaced are living in locations lacking shelter, clean water, and sanitation services, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which warned of increasing difficulties in delivering humanitarian aid over the past three weeks.

In a statement published on the UN website, OCHA said that more than 35,000 families still require shelter assistance, while over 230,000 people are in urgent need of water and sanitation support.

OCHA attributed the growing challenges in humanitarian access to damage on a main road linking Taiz to southern provinces, forcing aid workers to use narrow mountain routes and causing delays in aid deliveries.

Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said Thursday on its X platform account that more than 281,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since the latest escalation in Yemen, warning of rising needs among newly displaced people amid a severe shortage of humanitarian funding.

UNHCR added: "Needs among newly displaced people in Yemen are increasing amid a severe lack of humanitarian funding," noting that the widening gap between humanitarian needs and available funding is worsening the plight of those forced to leave their homes in search of safety.

The UN agency stressed that the humanitarian crisis in Yemen cannot be ignored, as the country continues to face one of the world’s most complex humanitarian emergencies. Previous estimates for the latest escalation indicated that around 22.3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.