RAHMA SHANZOUR

Yemen — With the widening scope of military escalation in Yemen, fears are growing over its repercussions on civilians, particularly displaced people and women, at a time when the country is suffering from accumulated economic, humanitarian, and social crises.

Yemeni activist and politician Maha Aoun says that reading the current military scene has become more difficult, as the escalation is not confined to a single front or specific area but has extended to multiple regions—from the city of Taiz and the western coast to Al‑Hudaydah, Al‑Bayda, Al‑Jawf, and Marib—with expectations of expansion into other areas.

She believes the escalation comes at a sensitive stage, particularly after the 2022 truce, which witnessed relative calm despite some violations and served as a period of "no peace, no war," allowing parties to rearrange their positions and reposition significantly.

According to Maha Aoun, military developments cannot be read in isolation from economic, social, and humanitarian tracks, given their direct impact on citizens, especially residents of conflict zones and displaced people.

 

Difficult Choices for Civilians

In conflict zones, civilians find themselves facing limited options, all fraught with danger. Remaining in their areas could mean being subjected to siege, while displacement imposes sudden movement to other areas that may not necessarily have the elements of stability or basic humanitarian needs.

Maha Aoun explains that this situation has appeared in areas such as Jabal Habashi and Maqbanah, where residents were forced to choose between remaining under siege or moving suddenly, without adequate consideration for their needs.

She adds that displaced people may find themselves in areas unfamiliar to them in terms of stability and available services, only to face new challenges upon arrival related to shelter, food, water, health, and education.

According to Maha Aoun, the city of Taiz suffers from accumulations of conflict over years, reflected in the humanitarian and economic situation and in social and health services, while the current military escalation has increased these needs and worsened the humanitarian and security situation.

She notes that repeated displacement multiplies the suffering of families, as some displaced people are forced to move from one area to another more than once, at a time when displacement camps themselves face risks of targeting and shelling.

 

Women in the Circle of Danger

The effects of the escalation do not stop at the loss of housing or source of income; women bear a large share of the repercussions of displacement, especially as they carry caregiving responsibilities within the family, and in some cases are the sole providers.

Maha Aoun says women are affected economically due to the loss of jobs and sources of income. Some women own small projects or businesses on which they depend to support their families, but the confrontations and displacement may lead to these businesses faltering or being lost entirely.

Socially, the risks facing women increase, especially with the difficulty of movement and access to safe areas, exposing them to various forms of violence, including gender‑based violence, in addition to the psychological and physical pressures associated with displacement, as she explained.

She noted that the impact of the escalation also extends to education, as damage to educational facilities or difficulty accessing them may lead to girls dropping out of school.

On the health side, displaced women face additional risks, particularly pregnant women, due to the difficulty of movement and access to health services, especially while moving from mountainous or unsafe areas.

Maha Aoun stresses that the need for safe and stable shelter providing privacy and protection is one of the most prominent issues facing displaced women.

 

Growing Needs and Limited Response

As displacement waves continue, the gap widens between humanitarian needs and the ability of actors to respond.

Maha Aoun says women need not only food and shelter but also healthcare, protection, and stability, in addition to social, health, and educational services.

She notes that there are initiatives and organizations that have begun working to provide food and shelter assistance to civilians, especially women, but stresses that available capabilities and resources remain insufficient to cover the needs of all displaced people, especially women.

 

Stalled Peace and Neglect of Internal Issues

In parallel with field escalation, Maha Aoun believes that the peace path in Yemen has become more complex and fragile due to the multiplicity of power centers and internal interests, along with regional and international interventions.

She believes that the 2022 truce, along with reducing the level of confrontations, constituted a phase for repositioning and rearranging conditions among parties, amid competition for power and resources and overlapping interests of local and external powers.

She also believes that regional and international developments and wars, including those related to the Red Sea, have affected the Yemeni situation and made the scene more complex.

She notes that the focus during the peace path has been largely on conflict management, negotiation, and mediation among its parties, while internal issues have not received sufficient attention—foremost among them the economic situation, currency collapse, reconstruction, and rebuilding the economy and health, humanitarian, and social services.

She believes that this path has also led to the marginalization of a number of active, marginalized, and vulnerable internal forces and groups, and their insufficient involvement in settlement and peacebuilding processes.

Displaced Women... Priority Is Survival

Under these circumstances, Maha Aoun believes that discourse about Yemeni women's resilience must take into account the reality of displaced women and their daily needs. She says that a displaced woman is not currently thinking about peace or her future as much as she is occupied with securing the simplest requirements of life: safe shelter, food, water, healthcare, and education for her children.

In conclusion, activist Maha Aoun stresses that the priority at this stage should be to strengthen the role of civil society and local initiatives, and support bodies concerned with social affairs and labor, in order to provide basic needs and help displaced men and women access a life characterized by safety, stability, and dignity.