UNICEF: renewed fighting in Yemen has displaced more than 57,000 children

UNICEF reported on 17 September 2026 that renewed fighting in Yemen has displaced more than 57,000 children in just the past two weeks; the agency warned the violence is deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis.

UNICEF said the new escalation has forced tens of thousands of families to flee across several governorates, including Taiz, Hudaydah and Marib; the agency attributed the renewed fighting to clashes between Yemeni Government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-backed Houthi militia.

Since 3 September, UNICEF reported at least nine children killed, 12 injured and three children missing following an attack on the road from Yemen’s western coast to Aden; those figures are reported by UNICEF and may change as assessments continue.

The fighting is disrupting basic services; UNICEF said services at 26 health facilities it supports have been disrupted, and 243 schools have closed or suspended classes, affecting more than 137,000 students.

UNICEF described pre-existing needs as severe; the agency said roughly 12.2 million children already required humanitarian assistance, more than 2.2 million under-fives were acutely malnourished including over 515,000 with severe acute malnutrition, around 17.8 million people lacked adequate access to healthcare, water and sanitation, only 60 per cent of health facilities were fully functional, and some 3.2 million school-age children were out of school.

UNICEF's field response is expanding; the agency said it is scaling up to reach up to 231,000 people with support. Actions reported include support for health facilities, distribution of hygiene kits and water tanks in Taiz, additional water and hygiene supplies in Marib, and redeployment of nine health and nutrition mobile teams to displacement sites and affected communities in Aden, Marib and Taiz.

WASH and child protection work is underway; UNICEF said emergency water and sanitation teams aim to reach more than 200,000 people and to carry out urgent repairs to damaged systems. Child protection teams are providing psychosocial support, case management for unaccompanied and separated children, and community awareness about unexploded ordnance.

UNICEF also reported cross-border displacement; the agency said more than 2,000 people, including many children, have arrived in Djibouti after crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and that it is working with Djibouti authorities to support arrivals.

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