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IAW AnalysisYemen · Arabian Peninsula

Yemeni Civil War

Houthi vs. government conflict, Saudi coalition, humanitarian catastrophe

Last update:

Internally displaced
5.2M+
Estimated deaths
377K+
Food insecurity (IPC 3+)
18.3M
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Overview

Armed conflict that began in 2014, when the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) seized Sanaa and displaced the internationally recognized government, escalating in 2015 with the intervention of the Saudi-led coalition. A decade of war fragmented the country between the Houthi-controlled north — home to most of the population — the areas of the Riyadh-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), and a south shaped by the separatist project of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), formally dissolved in January 2026 after a failed secession attempt.

Since 2023 a de facto truce has held without a political settlement: internal frontlines are largely frozen, but the Houthis projected the conflict regionally with attacks on Red Sea shipping (2023-2025) and launches against Israel, embedding themselves in the Iranian axis. The humanitarian dimension remains among the world's worst: more than 22 million people need assistance, 5.2 million are displaced and 18.3 million face acute food insecurity, with a chronically underfunded response constrained by Houthi authorities.

As of July 22, 2026, the Yemen conflict remains in a fragile lull with no political resolution. Frontlines between Ansar Allah (the Houthis) and the internationally recognized government are largely static, but early July 2026 saw the most serious ground escalation in years: between the night of July 3 and dawn on July 4, a Houthi assault using snipers, drones and mortars south of Hodeidah killed 16 pro-government troops and wounded 22, the deadliest such attack since the de facto truce. On July 5, a bulk carrier came under small-arms fire from a skiff some 30 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, with no damage and no claim of responsibility, amid Houthi threats to resume attacks on Israel-linked shipping. The last confirmed Houthi maritime attacks dated to August 31, 2025 (Scarlet Ray) and September 29, 2025 (Minervagracht), and the Secretary-General's June 9, 2026 report recorded no new incidents between May 9 and June 9.

Humanitarian impact

The humanitarian crisis is not a byproduct — it is a central feature of the conflict.

5.2M+

Internally displaced

UN OCHA, Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026 · March 2026

700K+

Refugees / cross-border displaced

UNHCR Regional Bureau for Middle East, North Africa · November 2024

18.3M

Population facing acute food insecurity (IPC 3+, estimate)

UN OCHA, Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026 (acutely food insecure) · March 2026

377K+

Estimated fatalities

UN OCHA, Credibility Lab, World Health Organization mortality estimates (direct + indirect) · November 2024

Actor map

Who faces whom.

Every actor with what they control and what they are after, and the ties of support and hostility that bind them to the rest. The camps are not assigned by hand: they come from the alliances and enmities recorded in the profile.

Around Ansar Allah (Houthis)

Around Presidential Leadership Council (PLC)

No declared alignment

Circle size shows relative influence; the amber arc, the share of territory under control. Camps are computed from the alliances and enmities declared in each profile.

Severity index

The severity index is published only on profiles under weekly monitoring: it is a dated measurement and we do not display it where we do not recalculate it.

History4 milestones

Timeline — Key phases

The conflict as process. Each event: context, actors and consequences.

2014-2015 — 2022-2024

  1. Houthis capture capital Sanaa; Saudi coalition launches massive air campaign

    Houthi Rise & International Coalition Intervention

    Houthi movement captures Sanaa in September 2014, ousting internationally recognized government. Saudi Arabia, leading coalition of Gulf states and international partners, launches massive air campaign in February 2015 to restore government. Operation Decisive Storm begins with comprehensive bombing of Houthi-controlled territory. Blockade instituted on ports and borders.

    Actors: Houthi movement, Yemen government, Saudi Arabia, UAE, coalition air forces Consequences: Rapid humanitarian deterioration; thousands killed in air campaign; displacement begins; blockade creates humanitarian access crisis; infrastructure destroyed

  2. Conflict settles into grinding stalemate; civilian suffering reaches critical levels

    Stalemate & Humanitarian Collapse

    Air campaign fails to defeat Houthis decisively. Ground operations slow and inconclusive. Conflict becomes protracted stalemate with no military victor emerging. Humanitarian situation catastrophically deteriorates. Blockade and fighting destroy healthcare system; cholera outbreaks kill thousands. Food insecurity becomes acute; malnutrition epidemic. Houthis consolidate control over northern population centers; government controls coastal areas but faces stalemate.

    Actors: Houthi movement, coalition forces, Yemen government, Iran (background support) Consequences: Humanitarian catastrophe accelerates; 8+ million food insecure; cholera kills tens of thousands; economy collapses; currency devalues; international aid insufficient

  3. UN-mediated ceasefire agreements provide partial relief; tensions remain high

    Ceasefire Attempts & Fragile Stability

    UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths negotiates ceasefire agreement (December 2018, Stockholm Agreement). Limited implementation; sporadic fighting continues. Humanitarian access improves marginally but blockade continues. Ceasefire largely holds but remains extremely fragile. Saudi coalition's air campaign continues sporadically. Houthis consolidate northern control. Government fragmentation increases with southern separatist movement emergence.

    Actors: Houthi movement, Saudi coalition, Yemen government, UN Special Envoy, UAE, separatist groups Consequences: Partial humanitarian relief; ceasefire violations documented; underlying political divisions unresolved; stalemate persists; economic crisis continues

  4. Houthi naval attacks disrupt global shipping; renewed military posturing

    Red Sea Escalation & Renewed Regional Tensions

    Following Israel-Hamas conflict escalation (October 2023), Houthis escalate Red Sea attacks on shipping, claiming support for Palestinians. U.S. and international naval presence increases. Multiple shipping vessels attacked or damaged; insurance premiums skyrocket. Global trade disruptions. New coalition operations begin against Houthi maritime capabilities. Renewed airstrikes in response to attacks. Humanitarian situation remains dire; 80% of population aid-dependent. Political resolution remains elusive.

    Actors: Houthi movement, US Navy, international coalition, Saudi-UAE coalition, Yemen government, Iran (alleged support) Consequences: Red Sea shipping crisis; global economic impacts; renewed military operations; humanitarian situation unchanged; political solution remains distant
Monitoring indicators

Concrete signals the editorial team monitors to anticipate phase changes.

  • Hodeidah front

    Worsening

    The July 2026 Houthi assault was the deadliest ground escalation since the truce; a repeat would signal the lull's end.

  • Red Sea maritime attacks

    Stable

    No confirmed attacks since September 2025, but the Houthis tie the pause to regional developments.

  • Detainee-release implementation

    Improving

    The 1,600-detainee release agreed in May is the only active confidence track between the parties.

  • Humanitarian funding

    Worsening

    The 2026 plan was 14% funded as of June; without funds, year-end IPC Phase 4 projections will materialize.

Status of this profile

Coverage level

Periodic review · review overdue

This profile is reviewed once a month: the situation overview and figures are updated if they changed. Between reviews there may be relevant events not yet incorporated. We do not publish a severity index: the CSI requires the weekly monitoring this profile does not have.

Last reviewed: Jul 22, 2026.

This profile's review is overdue against the frequency we state (45 days of grace). We show it rather than hold up a promise we did not keep.

We publish how complete each profile is. These are the points of our editorial policy that can be checked against the data on file.

7 of 8 checks

  • Conflict summary writtenDone
  • Timeline with 10 dated events or morePending
  • Conflict actors on fileDone
  • Conflict status assignedDone
  • 8 sources cited or moreDone
  • Every published figure with its source and dateDone
  • Geolocation on fileDone
  • Historical and political context writtenDone

Four further policy points — per-claim verification and traceability, naming review and cross-review — are checked by hand and are not part of this count.

Sources & methodology

Yemen data sourced from OCHA, UNHCR, WFP, WHO, Credibility Lab reports, and ACLED monitoring. Death estimates include both direct combat deaths and indirect deaths (disease, malnutrition) based on excess mortality estimates. Food insecurity figures reflect IPC classification.

Key sources

Yemen's civil war represents the 21st century's worst global humanitarian crisis, with 17+ million people needing assistance. Without credible political solution, the conflict will remain in prolonged stalemate, Red Sea attacks will continue disrupting global commerce, and Yemeni civilians will face systematic starvation, healthcare collapse, and immense suffering.

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Corrections

If you found a wrong figure, a shifted date or a source that no longer says what it said, tell us. We check it and, where warranted, the profile is corrected with the update date left visible.