The European Commission announced €22.5 million in additional humanitarian aid for Yemen as more than 250,000 people were displaced between Aug. 1 and Oct. 17 amid renewed fighting that has disrupted essential services.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) gave the displacement figure at an Oct. 20 briefing and said Taiz was sheltering roughly half of those who fled. The Commission’s Oct. 23 announcement adds to €87.5 million already allocated for Yemen in 2026. It said the added funding would strengthen aid partners’ response and readiness if conditions worsen, including by helping them position supplies ahead of need.
At the same briefing, UNICEF’s country representative estimated that about 120,000 people had fled to Taiz city or elsewhere in the governorate since the latest escalation began in early September. The representative said fighting had cut supply routes and made basic services harder to reach. At the Oct. 20 U.N. briefing, WHO said fighting and road closures threatened Taiz hospitals’ access to fuel and medicine.
The Commission says 22.3 million people in Yemen require humanitarian support and protection. Its funding will reach people through aid organizations, including displaced households, women, children and people with disabilities. Priorities include food security, health care, clean water and sanitation, protective services and other life-saving programs.
In an interview published Oct. 27, The National reported that EU Ambassador to Yemen Patrick Simonnet called for near-term action to curb the escalation and reduce danger to civilians. Simonnet said a political settlement had become harder to achieve but remained necessary.
On Oct. 9, U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg told the Security Council, “Yemen has slid back into full-scale war.” He said fighting was active in several areas and urged renewed political engagement.
A United Nations-brokered pause in fighting took effect April 2, 2022. The arrangement was initially set for two months and intended to give peace efforts room to advance.
