Over 116,000 Yemenis displaced in Marib in 2021

SANAA, Yemen

More than 116,000 Yemeni civilians were displaced in the central Marib province in 2021 amid fighting between government forces and Houthi rebels, according to the Yemeni authorities on Sunday.

In a statement, the government-affiliated Executive Unit for IDP's Camps Management said most of those displaced had fled to Al-Madina and Al-Wadi districts in Marib.

According to the statement, more than 2.2 million Yemenis have been displaced from their homes in the central province since 2014.

Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks to take control of oil-rich Marib, one of the most important strongholds of the legitimate government and home to the headquarters of Yemen’s Defense Ministry.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Houthis captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict has created one of the world's worst man-made humanitarian crises, with nearly 80% of the country, or about 30 million people, in need of humanitarian assistance and protection and more than 13 million are in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar