New Yemen fighting displaces 290,000; pregnant women at risk, says UN

Since the war in Yemen reignited in August, the United Nations' humanitarian office (OCHA) reports that at least 290,000 individuals have been displaced, posing a grave threat to pregnant women. Battles between Yemen's internationally-recognized government and Houthi rebels have intensified, especially in Taiz governorate and coastal regions, claiming thousands of lives.

OCHA's latest report highlights that 65,000 refugees and asylum seekers are facing a worsening situation due to disrupted services, soaring food and fuel prices. Among the recently displaced are 6,100 pregnant women, with 600 due to give birth within the next two weeks. The UN has dispatched mobile teams and midwives to these displacement sites, while aid groups have provided food, hygiene supplies, and emergency cash to approximately 249,000 people – around three-quarters of the displaced population.

The surge in displacement coincides with the war's escalation on multiple fronts, spreading across the border into Saudi Arabia. Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki announced the interception and destruction of a "hostile" drone over Riyadh on Saturday, stating no casualties were reported, marking the second such interception in two days.

Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud attended a G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, where he addressed the Yemen crisis with US, Russian, and European counterparts. Prince Faisal and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand jointly condemned the Houthi attacks on the Saudi kingdom during the meeting.

Yemen's internationally recognized government reported on Friday that Houthi rebels had launched at least three ballistic missiles at the Maashiq presidential palace in Aden, the country's interim capital.