Heavy fighting escalates near Taiz as UN urges humanitarian access in Yemen

Fighting has intensified on several fronts south of Taiz in southwestern Yemen, with reports of clashes around strategic areas near the city and airstrikes on the nearby port city of Mocha. The latest escalation comes as the United Nations says more than 281,000 people have been displaced across Yemen since the beginning of August. The violence is unfolding in one of the country's most contested areas, where front lines have shifted repeatedly during the wider war.

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Media aligned with government forces said hostilities increased on the Al-Aqroudh and Al-Masrakh fronts, as well as in Al-Rahn village in the Sabir al-Mawadim district. Houthi-affiliated media reported four airstrikes on Mocha and its port on the Red Sea, west of Taiz. A spokesman for Yemeni government forces in Taiz said their troops repelled attacks on Al-Aqroud and claimed they were trying to break the Houthi siege of the area.

He also said government forces had carried out 749 military operations in the previous 24 hours, causing deaths or injuries among 239 fighters and destroying 117 vehicles and armoured vehicles. The fighting has also spread to other nearby positions, including Jabal Sabr, the strategic mountain overlooking Taiz, which the Houthis said they advanced on on Sunday. A military source said government forces carried out three airstrikes against Houthi military gatherings and vehicles southeast of Taiz, targeting positions and movements on the Al-Aqroud front.

Separately, flights resumed at Aden International Airport after services were suspended on Wednesday following reports that a missile landed on Al-Nasr Camp, near the airport and adjacent to facilities used by coastguard forces and the interior ministry. The renewed clashes matter because Taiz sits at a strategic point in Yemen's long-running war between the Houthis and forces loyal to the internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. Control of roads, hills and coastal access around Taiz has been central to the conflict, and the fighting around Mocha adds pressure on the Red Sea coast west of the city.

The latest violence also comes as humanitarian agencies warn that displacement is rising sharply and access for aid is becoming more difficult. The United Nations humanitarian agency has said the scale of displacement since early August reflects the broader deterioration in the conflict. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned that time is running out to deliver aid to people affected by the fighting.

That warning underlines the link between military escalation and civilian need, especially in areas where access routes can be disrupted by front-line changes and airstrikes. The situation around Taiz has remained one of the most sensitive parts of the war because of its military and humanitarian significance. What remains unclear is the full extent of casualties, damage and territorial changes from the latest round of fighting.

The competing claims from government-aligned and Houthi-linked media have not been independently verified in the supplied material. The next developments to watch are whether the clashes around Taiz widen further, whether the reported airstrikes on Mocha continue, and whether aid access can be maintained as displacement rises.

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