Arabic version: الصراع في اليمن يعطل طرق المساعدات وإمدادات الموانئ

According to Al Jazeera, renewed fighting in Yemen is closing roads, disrupting port operations and increasing pressure on humanitarian services as civilians flee conflict-affected areas.

In Taiz province, Mohammed fled Jabal Habashi with his wife and child after shelling and gunfire intensified in mid-September. He found temporary shelter with relatives in Taiz city, while thousands of other people arriving from rural areas are staying in displacement camps. The United Nations said on September 22 that displacement from the latest fighting could exceed 230,000 people, adding to more than 5.2 million people already displaced within Yemen.

Mohammed Radman, a displacement coordinator in Jabal Habashi, said road closures have made travel dangerous and reduced the volume of aid reaching people in need. Humanitarian operations also face constraints from active front lines, movement restrictions, telecommunications disruptions and damaged infrastructure, UNHCR in Yemen said.

The conflict has affected key transport links. Radman said the Mocha-Taiz road is closed after the Houthi takeover of Mocha city and port. Travel from Taiz to Aden now takes six hours or more, compared with about two hours before the current conflict. Higher transport costs for food, medical supplies and shelter materials are further complicating deliveries to isolated camps.

Commercial imports have also declined, raising concerns over food availability and prices in a country that depends on imports for nearly 90 percent of its food commodities. A UN report found wheat and flour imports fell 48 percent in August from the previous month, while fuel imports dropped 67 percent from July. International humanitarian, development and civil society organisations warned on September 23 that Yemen’s crisis was worsening and urged action to protect aid delivery and essential services.