Yemen

10 December 2025

Rapid advances across southern Yemen by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in December 2025, including in the port city of Aden, which has served as the temporary capital of the Saudi-backed Internationally Recognized Government of Yemen (IRG), have reconfigured the balance of power in the country. The STC, a UAE-backed secessionist force, has gained control of large areas in all eight former southern Yemen governorates. IRG-aligned forces have withdrawn northwards, and authorities have closed Yemen’s airspace, disrupting aid flights. The reshuffling of local control will complicate humanitarian access, and the elevation of the STC raises the possibility of a formal partition of Yemen into north and south. The timing of the escalation is also being linked to regional dynamics, with the UAE frustrated by Saudi Arabia’s push to involve the US in negotiations relating to Sudan. (Reuters 08/12/2025, The Guardian 08/12/2025, OCHA 08/12/2025)

28 October 2025

On 22 October 2025, after raiding a UN compound in Sana’a on 18 October, the de-facto authority (DFA) in the north of Yemen released 12 international staff. Just the next couple of days from 23–24 October, however, the DFA detained two other UN staff members and then raided the homes of several others, before detaining two more female WFP staff on 25 October. (AP 24/10/2025, TOI 27/10/2025)

22 October 2025

In October 2025, the de-facto authority (DFA) in the north of Yemen (also known as the Houthis) raided a UN compound in Hadda district, Sana'a, and detained around 20 employees, including five Yemeni and 15 international staff from agencies such as WFP, UNICEF, and OCHA, accusing them of espionage. DFA fighters confiscated communication equipment and temporarily occupied the compound before releasing the Yemeni staff and allowing the international personnel limited movement. This marks an escalation compared to 31 August, when at least 11 Yemeni UN staff were detained. According to the UN, at least 53 staff members remain arbitrarily detained, some since 2021, despite repeated appeals for their release. These detentions have disrupted humanitarian operations across Al Hodeidah, Sa’dah, and Sana’a, threatening aid delivery to millions of Yemenis in need of assistance. (OSESGY 18/10/2025, UNMHA 01/09/2025)

02 October 2025

Since 1 August 2025, heavy rains have triggered floods across 20 governorates in Yemen, killing at least 82 people and affecting over 450,000. The floodwaters have destroyed homes, cropland, and roads, leaving IDPs particularly affected. On the West Coast, farming losses and displacement are worsening already fragile livelihoods. (GDACS accessed 06/10/2025, ECHO 30/09/2025, IOM 18/08/2025)

02 September 2025

On 31 August 2025, the de-facto authority (DFA) in the north of Yemen (also known as the Houthis) detained at least 11 UN national staff in Sana’a and Al Hodeidah, adding to 23 other humanitarian workers already detained, some since 2021. One staff member had died in custody earlier in 2025. The detentions raise further concerns for humanitarian operations in DFA-controlled areas. (UN 01/09/2025, Reuters 31/08/2025, The Guardian 31/08/2025)

26 August 2025

Flash floods triggered by heavy rains that began in July 2025 have affected over 100,000 people in southern governorates, including Abyan, Aden, Lahj, and Ta'iz, which were the hardest hit. The flooding has damaged homes, farmland, and infrastructure, forcing secondary displacement. Affected areas already face high food insecurity, while risks of waterborne diseases and disrupted aid access are rising. (IRC 26/08/2025, SARI Global 26/08/2025, IFRC 22/08/2025)

22 July 2025

The Yemeni rial has depreciated by 34% since July 2024, reaching YER 2,890 per USD 1 on 22 July 2025 in areas under the control of the Internationally Recognized Government of Yemen. This sharp drop is further diminishing households' purchasing power. An estimated 4.95 million people in these areas face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or Emergency (IPC Phase 4) food insecurity from May–August 2025. (FAO accessed 22/07/2025, ACAPS accessed 22/07/2025, IPC 18/07/2025)