Fierce western Yemen clashes kill over 120, world urges immediate ceasefire

Since yesterday, heavy fighting has erupted in the western Yemeni provinces of Taiz and Abyan, with clashes between Houthi forces and Yemeni government forces having caused more than 120 deaths, and the number of injured continues to rise. Local residents say the fighting is concentrated near the towns of Hadid and Haid, with both sides using heavy artillery and air strikes, flattening civilian homes. International relief organizations have urgently evacuated trapped civilians and are calling for an immediate cease‑fire to prevent the humanitarian disaster from worsening.

The formal name of the Houthi forces is Ansar Allah. It originated in the 1990s in northern Yemen, mainly composed of Zaydi Shia adherents, with a leadership core largely drawn from the Houthi family. After the death of its leader Hussein al‑Houthi at the hands of Yemeni troops in 2004, the group gradually evolved into an armed opposition to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and in 2014 seized the capital Sana’a, becoming a key participant in the civil war. Iran provides the group with military and logistical support, leading to Houthi forces being regarded as part of an Iran‑led “resistance axis.” Their attacks on civilians and use of child soldiers have drawn condemnation and sanctions from multiple countries.

Yemeni government forces, backed by the Saudi‑led coalition, continue air strikes and ground operations against Houthi‑controlled areas. Since the conflict escalated in 2015, the coalition has pursued the restoration of the internationally recognised government, but has been widely criticised for causing large civilian casualties through its air campaigns. The recent intense clashes show that both sides are contesting control of a crucial western transport hub as well as oil and water resources, and the widening of the war could further delay peace talks.

Internationally, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that Yemen’s food security and medical supplies are on the brink of collapse. The United States and the European Union have urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law and have called on Iran to halt its military assistance to the Houthi forces. Iran, however, continues to deny direct involvement in the fighting, claiming it only provides “humanitarian and political” support. The escalation raises concerns about the security of the Red Sea shipping lane; some international fleets have temporarily rerouted, increasing global transport costs.

For Taiwan, the deterioration of the Yemen conflict not only impacts global energy prices but could also affect the cost of oil and liquefied natural gas imports on which Taiwan depends. Taiwanese companies have a substantial share of shipping traffic through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden; continued disruption of these routes would affect supply‑chain timeliness and costs. Moreover, the international focus on the humanitarian crisis offers Taiwan an opportunity to participate in multilateral diplomacy and humanitarian aid, providing a chance to assess and enhance its international image and responsibilities.