More than 250,000 people flee renewed fighting in Yemen as Taiz city is encircled

21 October 2026

United Nations agencies briefed from Geneva on 20 October 2026 on the renewed fighting in Yemen.
More than 250,000 people have fled, and about half of them have sought shelter in Taiz governorate.
Thirty-two civilians have been confirmed killed across Taiz governorate, including 14 children and nine women.
Ten of the 16 districts in the governorate are already at emergency levels of food insecurity.
Twelve hospitals in Taiz have about four days of fuel left, and 115 of 127 essential medicines have stocks for about one week or less.
About 65,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, mostly from Somalia and Ethiopia, need urgent support.
Volker Turk appealed for immediate humanitarian access, and UNICEF, WHO, UNHCR and the World Food Programme described blocked routes and exhausted supplies.