“We cling to each other, ready to die”: Yemen is on the brink of abyss with the collapse of the truce

With the collapse of the truce between the Iran-backed Ansar Allah Houthi movement and the internationally recognized government backed by Saudi Arabia, the roar of warplanes has returned to fill the skies of the northwestern governorates in Yemen over the past weeks.

Families residing in the "Al-Mahraba" camp for displaced people in northwestern Yemen have been suffering for years from malnutrition and poor health care. The camp is located in the Hayran District in the Hajjah Governorate bordering Saudi Arabia, the majority of which is controlled by the Houthis, a few kilometers away from areas controlled by the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

In January 2026, the World Food Program decided to end its assistance in areas under Houthi control. Human Rights Watch says that authorities affiliated with the Ansar Allah Houthi movement raided the offices of employees from United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations and detained dozens of them.

Now, aid agencies say the continued escalation could disrupt operations at key ports such as Hodeidah, which represents a vital gateway for humanitarian aid, threatening relief access to millions of Yemenis.

Amna Muhammad Mansour Razihi has been living with her family in the smuggling camp for twelve years. She prepares bread on firewood with the flour and oil she has available, using a worn frying pan. “The camp situation is very miserable,” says Amna. “We only eat one meal a day. There is no water, no electricity, and no homes like the people.”

Amna and her family have been displaced three times. She says that hearing the sounds of Saudi warplanes makes her feel terrified and afraid, as there is no place to hide. She added: "We gather together inside the tent and cling to each other, ready to die together if a plane bombs us."

Not far from Amna's tent, Ali Muhammad Khamisi has been living in a straw room for eight years. Ali left the family home in 2018 to visit his father, but a surprise attack by government forces forced the Houthis to withdraw, and he found himself stuck on the other side of the front line. Ali has not been able to communicate with his family for many months due to a communications outage.

Today, Yemen is at risk of sliding back into an all-out war, as the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, warned at a UN Security Council session. Grundberg pointed out that "the escalation in the intensity of clashes due to the recent attacks by the Ansar Allah movement on several fronts heralds the expansion of the scope of the conflict."

The Houthis launched unprecedented attacks with ballistic missiles and marches targeting areas of government influence in the cities of Marib and Mokha, which led to civilian casualties. The Houthis also closed the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Saudi ships, and targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea.

Brigadier General Abed Al-Thawr, advisor to the Ministry of Defense affiliated with the Ansar Allah Houthi movement, told the BBC that these operations come in response to the attacks and siege imposed on Yemen. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia asserts that it reserves its right to defend its territory and national security.