UN: More than 121,000 Yemenis have fled Hodeidah

More than 121,000 people have recently fled Yemen‘s port city of Hodeidah due to fierce attacks by Saudi-led coalition forces, according to a new UN report.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released a report on Wednesday reporting that humanitarian partners have verified more than 17,350 households (over 121,000 people) have been displaced since June 1.

“More than 10,000 displaced households (nearly 80,000 people) have been assisted with food, emergency kits, and other life-saving support,” the report noted.

The OCHA said that after the partial calm during the last few days, air attacks were carried out near the Hodeidah-Sana road and Hodeidah airport, with intensive air raids also reported on July 4 in the southern Zaid District. 

Humanitarian aid workers are carrying out their activities in the city as the aid convoys entered the city without encountering too much trouble, according to the report.

But it underlined that many roads in the city are still closed to traffic, and negotiations are needed to reach many areas of the city.

Half of children unable to attend school

The report also said due to the displacement, only half of the local children can attend school.

It noted that seven health institutions have temporarily closed or suspended operations.

On June 13, Yemeni government forces – backed by the Saudi-led military coalition – waged a wide-ranging operation to retake Hodeidah and its strategic seaport from Houthi rebels.

Government forces continued to advance towards the city, and on June 19 they seized Hodeidah international airport.

Impoverished Yemen remains wracked by violence since 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab allies – who accuse the Shia Houthis of serving as Iranian proxies – launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.