About our Yemen news
Latest news on Yemen, covering the civil war, humanitarian crisis, Houthi rebels, Saudi coalition, aid efforts, and key regional developments.
Yemen remains engulfed in a complex civil war that began in 2014, when the Houthi movement seized the capital Sanaa. The conflict pits the Iran-backed Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen including Sanaa, against the internationally recognised government led by President Rashad al-Alimi and supported by a Saudi-led coalition. Over 30 million Yemenis face what international agencies describe as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with widespread food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and collapsing infrastructure.
Recent months have brought dramatic developments in southern Yemen, where tensions between rival anti-Houthi factions escalated into open conflict. In December 2025, the Southern Transitional Council, a UAE-backed separatist movement seeking independence for the former South Yemen, launched an offensive that captured the oil-rich Hadramawt and Al-Mahra provinces. Saudi-backed government forces responded with a counteroffensive in early January 2026, retaking these territories. The Presidential Leadership Council has announced the formation of a Supreme Military Committee to integrate disparate anti-Houthi forces, potentially shifting the balance of power in the conflict.
The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate across Yemen. Over 18 million people face acute food insecurity, while tens of thousands risk catastrophic hunger. The health system has collapsed in many areas, with hundreds of facilities closed and vaccination programmes under threat. The Houthis' detention of 73 UN staff members has severely restricted aid delivery in areas housing 70 per cent of humanitarian needs. Economic hardship compounds these challenges, with unpaid salaries, currency pressure, and failing public services eroding household resilience.
The conflict has expanded beyond Yemen's borders through Houthi attacks on international shipping and Israeli territory. Following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Houthis launched attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, causing a dramatic decline in maritime traffic through this vital trade route. While these attacks paused after a ceasefire in October 2025, the group's long-range capabilities and regional influence remain significant factors in Middle Eastern security dynamics.
Yemen's current crisis has roots in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, when mass protests forced longtime president Ali Abdullah Saleh from power. The subsequent political transition collapsed as the Houthis, originally a movement protesting marginalisation of the Zaydi Shia community in northern Yemen, seized Sanaa in September 2014. Saudi Arabia began its military intervention in March 2015, leading to years of devastating conflict. The 1990 unification of North and South Yemen continues to influence the conflict, with southern separatist sentiment driving current tensions.
Our NewsNow feed on Yemen provides comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of this evolving crisis from reliable sources. Whether you're following political developments, humanitarian conditions, regional implications, or international diplomatic efforts, this feed delivers essential news and analysis. Stay informed about Yemen's complex conflict and its impact on regional stability, with constantly updated headlines ensuring you have access to the latest information from across the country and the international community's response to this ongoing emergency.