Yemen
Saudi ArabiaKey figures
Who is fighting
Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) / Supreme Political Council
- Ansar Allah (Houthis)
- Supreme Political Council (Sanaa)
- Houthi-controlled Yemeni armed forces and Popular Committees
- Iran (IRGC Quds Force, per UN Panel of Experts)
- Hezbollah (training, reported)
- Iraqi militia specialists (reported)
- Somali al-Shabaab fighters (reported by government forces, unverified)
Internationally recognized government (Presidential Leadership Council) and Saudi-led coalition
- Yemeni Armed Forces (PLC)
- Homeland Shield Forces
- Giants Brigades
- National Resistance (Tareq Saleh)
- Tihamah Resistance
- Southern Transitional Council remnants / Southern Resistance
- Saudi-led coalition (Royal Saudi Air Force, Saudi National Guard)
- Saudi Arabia (direct belligerent since July 2026)
- United Arab Emirates (reported)
- Egypt (defence assistance pledged October 2026)
- Pakistan and Turkey (reported troop pledges, October 2026)
- United States, United Kingdom, France (reported)
Force sizes are estimates of personnel or fighters, usually from IISS, government statements or specialist reporting; irregular forces are especially hard to count. "(reported)" marks external support that the backer disputes or has not confirmed.
Background
The Houthi movement, rooted in Zaydi Shia revivalism in Saada, fought six rounds of war with the Yemeni state between 2004 and 2010. After the 2011 uprising and a stalled transition, Houthi forces allied with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized Sanaa in September 2014 and pushed south. In March 2015 Saudi Arabia led a coalition intervention to restore the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, beginning an air campaign and a blockade. Front lines stabilised by 2016, with the Houthis holding the north-west and the government and UAE-backed southern forces holding Aden, Marib and the east; a Houthi offensive on Marib in 2020-21 failed.
The UN estimated in 2021 that the war had cost about 377,000 lives by the end of that year, roughly 60 percent of them from hunger and disease rather than violence. A UN truce in April 2022 cut fighting sharply, and in April 2022 Hadi handed power to an eight-member Presidential Leadership Council led by Rashad al-Alimi. Saudi-Houthi talks on a roadmap continued through 2023 without a final deal.
From November 2023 the Houthis attacked shipping in the Red Sea and fired at Israel in response to the Gaza war, drawing US-UK strikes from January 2024, a seven-week US campaign (Operation Rough Rider, March-May 2025) that ended in an Oman-brokered US-Houthi truce, and Israeli strikes on Sanaa and Hodeidah through 2025, one of which killed the Houthi prime minister Ahmed al-Rahawi in August 2025. The Houthis paused attacks after the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire.
When the United States and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February 2026, the Houthis resumed missile fire at Israel from 28 March. On 13 July 2026 Saudi-backed Yemeni forces struck Sanaa airport to stop an Iranian aircraft from landing; the Houthis declared the 2022 ceasefire over, blockaded Saudi ports from 20 July, and attacked Saudi cities and tankers, while Saudi aircraft struck Hodeidah and Sanaa. A Houthi ground offensive from 3 September 2026 took Hays, Al Khawkhah, Mokha, Dhubab and Perim island, giving them the Red Sea coast and Bab al-Mandab; on 4 October they captured At Turbah and cut the Taiz-Aden road. The PLC answered with Operation Dawn of Yemen (5 October), supported by Saudi airstrikes, while Houthi missiles hit Riyadh, Abha and Dammam airports (6-12 October) and the presidential palace in Aden (15 October). The IOM counted more than 233,000 newly displaced by 18 October 2026, and Taiz's hospitals were near collapse.
Recent developments
- 18 October 2026GCC foreign ministers condemn Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and invoke their joint defence commitment; IOM counts more than 233,000 people displaced since the escalation, and WHO says Taiz's 12 hospitals have four days of fuel left. source ↗
- 15 October 2026Houthi missiles strike the presidential palace compound in Aden, killing at least five people. source ↗
- 13 October 2026Government forces carry out nine airstrikes on Houthi positions in Dhubab and al-Masrakh districts of Taiz; a local monitor reports five civilians killed in Taiz in 24 hours. source ↗
- 10 October 2026A Houthi ballistic missile hits terminals at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing 12 and wounding more than 300; the airport closes for a week. source ↗
- 9 October 2026UN envoy Hans Grundberg warns the Security Council that Yemen has slid back into full-scale war; the UN counts at least 46 civilians killed since August. source ↗
- 4 October 2026PLC chairman Rashad al-Alimi orders operations to retake all Houthi-held territory after the Houthis capture At Turbah and cut the Taiz-Aden road. source ↗
- 18 September 2026Saudi Arabia proposes a two-week ceasefire with the Houthis after Washington declines to join strikes. source ↗
- 11 September 2026Houthis capture Perim (Mayyun) island, giving them control of the Bab al-Mandab approaches. source ↗
Timeline
- 21 September 2014Houthi forces seize Sanaa; the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi later flees to Aden and then Riyadh.
- 26 March 2015Saudi Arabia leads a coalition air campaign (Operation Decisive Storm) against the Houthis.
- 13 December 2018Stockholm Agreement produces a ceasefire around the port of Hodeidah.
- 23 November 2021UNDP estimates the war will have killed 377,000 people by the end of 2021, most from indirect causes.
- 2 April 2022UN-brokered nationwide truce takes effect; Hadi transfers power to the Presidential Leadership Council on 7 April.
- 19 November 2023Houthis hijack the Galaxy Leader, beginning the Red Sea shipping attacks linked to the Gaza war.
- 12 January 2024United States and United Kingdom begin airstrikes on Houthi targets.
- 15 March 2025US launches Operation Rough Rider, striking more than 1,000 targets over seven weeks.
- 6 May 2025Oman announces a US-Houthi ceasefire: the US halts strikes, the Houthis stop attacking US vessels.
- 28 August 2025Israeli strike on Sanaa kills Houthi prime minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and several ministers.
- 28 March 2026Houthis join the 2026 Iran war, resuming missile fire at Israel.
- 13 July 2026Saudi-backed Yemeni forces strike Sanaa airport to block an Iranian aircraft; the Houthis declare the 2022 ceasefire over and later blockade Saudi ports.
- 3 September 2026Houthi ground offensive in Taiz governorate; within ten days the Houthis take Hays, Al Khawkhah, Mokha, Dhubab and Perim island.
- 5 October 2026PLC launches Operation Dawn of Yemen, a counter-offensive aimed at Sanaa, with Saudi air support.
- 9 October 2026UN envoy Hans Grundberg tells the Security Council that Yemen has returned to 'full-scale war'.
Casualties and displacement in detail
| Measure | Low | High | What the figure covers · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total killed (cumulative) | 150,000 | 377,000 | UNDP modelled estimate through end-2021: about 377,000 deaths including indirect causes (hunger, disease), of which roughly 150,000 from direct violence. No comparable estimate covers 2022-2026; the 2026 war adds at least 1,282 reported deaths (see deathsLast12Months). aljazeera.com ↗ |
| Combatants killed | – | – | Not reliably estimated for the war as a whole. For 1-12 October 2026 alone, compiled reports list 283 Houthi and 206 government fighters killed; the government claimed 1,747 Houthis 'neutralised' by 5 October. All combatant claims are unverified. france24.com ↗ |
| Civilians killed | – | – | No cumulative civilian total used here. The UN counted at least 46 civilians killed and more than 130 injured in Yemen from August to 9 October 2026; Houthi strikes on Saudi airports killed at least 20 people (6-12 October 2026). aljazeera.com ↗ |
| Wounded | – | – | No cumulative figure. A Wikipedia compilation lists 5,890+ injured in Yemen and 440+ in Saudi Arabia since August 2026 (unverified); more than 370 were injured in the Riyadh airport strikes alone. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Deaths in the last 12 months | 1,282 | – | Floor only: Wikipedia-compiled tally of reported deaths in Yemen from the August 2026 escalation to mid-October 2026 (1,282 killed), plus 21 killed in Saudi Arabia; excludes low-level fighting from October 2025 to July 2026 and most October 2026 ground fighting. For scale, ACLED recorded 952 fatalities in Q1 2025 and 944 in Q2 2025 (ACCORD). No ACLED/UCDP 12-month total is yet available. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Internally displaced | 5,201,088 | 5,375,220 | Total IDP stock: 5,201,088 (TFPM, 31 August 2026) rising to about 5.38 million on the UNHCR portal in early October 2026. Separately, IOM DTM counted 251,047 people newly displaced since 1 August 2026 (as of 17 October) and IOM reported more than 233,000 displaced by the escalation, about 121,000 of them in Taiz (18 October). data.unhcr.org ↗ |
| Refugees abroad | – | – | Cumulative Yemeni refugee figure not compiled. UNHCR reported more than 4,000 Yemenis crossing to Djibouti and Somalia since the September 2026 escalation. Yemen itself hosts 65,308 refugees and asylum seekers (UNHCR, August 2026). aljazeera.com ↗ |
Intensity classification: Compiled tallies of reported deaths in Yemen since the 2022 truce collapsed (August to mid-October 2026) exceed 1,280 (Wikipedia compilation of government, Houthi and monitor reports); ACLED/UCDP totals for October 2025 to October 2026 are not yet published. Treated as 'war' (>=1,000); likely to be revised upward as October 2026 fighting is counted..
Countries affected
Frequently asked questions
Who is fighting in the Yemen civil war (Houthis vs government and Saudi-led coalition)?
Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) / Supreme Political Council (Ansar Allah (Houthis), Supreme Political Council (Sanaa), Houthi-controlled Yemeni armed forces and Popular Committees), supported by Iran (IRGC Quds Force, per UN Panel of Experts), Hezbollah (training, reported), Iraqi militia specialists (reported), Somali al-Shabaab fighters (reported by government forces, unverified); against Internationally recognized government (Presidential Leadership Council) and Saudi-led coalition (Yemeni Armed Forces (PLC), Homeland Shield Forces, Giants Brigades, National Resistance (Tareq Saleh), …), supported by Saudi Arabia (direct belligerent since July 2026), United Arab Emirates (reported), Egypt (defence assistance pledged October 2026), Pakistan and Turkey (reported troop pledges, October 2026).
How many people have been killed?
Estimates range from 150,000–377,000 killed as of 18 October 2026. UNDP modelled estimate through end-2021: about 377,000 deaths including indirect causes (hunger, disease), of which roughly 150,000 from direct violence. No comparable estimate covers 2022-2026; the 2026 war adds at least 1,282 reported deaths (see deathsLast12Months). Figures come from the sources listed on this page and differ in method; see the caveats above.
Is the Yemen civil war (Houthis vs government and Saudi-led coalition) still ongoing in 2026?
Status as of 19 October 2026: Active fighting — Yemen's war pits the Iran-aligned Houthi movement (Ansar Allah), which has held Sanaa and the populous north-west since 2014, against the internationally recognized government under the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), backed by a Saudi-led coalition. A UN-brokered truce from April 2022 largely held until July 2026, when, after the Houthis joined the 2026 Iran war, a strike on Sanaa airport and a Houthi naval blockade of Saudi Arabia reopened the front. A Houthi offensive in September 2026 seized the Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab approaches; by October 2026 the Houthis had encircled Taiz, government forces with Saudi air support had launched a counter-offensive toward Sanaa, Houthi missiles had killed at least 20 people at Saudi airports, and the UN envoy told the Security Council that Yemen had returned to 'full-scale war'.
When did it start?
The current phase began on 21 September 2014, but the underlying conflict dates back to 2004 — 12 years ago.
Sources
- UNHCR Operational Data Portal - Yemen data.unhcr.org
- IOM - Yemen displacement tops 76,000 (12 September 2026) iom.int
- ACLED - Yemen data coverage note acleddata.com
- UN Panel of Experts on Yemen (via AP) abcnews.go.com
- Al Jazeera - Yemen war: what is the latest (5 October 2026) aljazeera.com
- Wikipedia - 2026 Yemen offensives (index to primary reports) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia - Houthis in the 2026 Iran war en.wikipedia.org
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Glostats. (2026). Yemen civil war — Casualties, Forces & Timeline (2026). Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/conflicts/yemen-civil-war/<a href="https://glostats.com/conflicts/yemen-civil-war/">Yemen civil war — Casualties, Forces & Timeline (2026)</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
This page summarises publicly available reporting and does not take sides. Casualty and force figures are estimates compiled on 19 October 2026; see each figure's source for its method and date. Page generated 2026-10-20. How this tracker works.