Over 150 Families Displaced by Houthi Shelling in Yemen’s West Coast

Persistent artillery, missile, and drone strikes by Houthi forces targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure in Yemen’s Hodeidah Governorate have forced 158 families to flee their homes, seeking refuge in the districts of Hays and Khokha.

Human rights sources report that 124 families have sought safety in Hays, arriving from the districts of Jarrahi, Jabal Ras, and Maqbanah, while 34 additional families reached Khokha from similarly volatile areas. Many of these displaced families are currently living in dire conditions, with some forced to shelter under rocks in open terrain, lacking access to basic services, food, or adequate protection from the ongoing violence.

The humanitarian crisis has been compounded by a recent escalation in hostilities. In the coastal region of Al-Hayma, two civilians were wounded by mortar fire, while separate strikes earlier this week in Hays and Khokha resulted in three fatalities and left two young sisters injured. These attacks are part of a broader campaign of aggression that has targeted civilian homes, displacement camps, and vital infrastructure across the West Coast.

Jamal Mashra’i, director of the Executive Unit for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps in Hodeidah, stated that relief efforts are underway in coordination with the Human Access association and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. While shelter and emergency supplies have been provided to a portion of the displaced population through organizations such as the International Rescue Committee and the International Organization for Migration, many families remain without essential support.

Mashra’i emphasized that a significant number of the displaced have yet to receive food rations, exacerbating an already precarious situation. He issued an urgent appeal to international and local humanitarian organizations to expedite assistance to the affected families, noting that the ongoing military escalation continues to displace civilians and disrupt the livelihoods of thousands across the region.