Yemeni government forces announced on Friday, 13 November, that they had taken over the Al-Sarih crossing in the Sabiha region of Lahj governorate. This claim marks a new episode of fighting in the south-west of the country, but does not lead to a stabilization of the front. She intervened as the authorities called for emergency assistance for displaced families and a report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees documented the growing need.
Claimed recovery, unconfirmed balance sheet
In its report of 13 November, the Government Army claims to have carried out an attack on the Huthie positions with the support of tribal fighters. She claims to have recaptured al-Sarih after clashes and withdrawal of opposing forces. Libnanews was unable to independently verify the effective control of the crossing at the end of the operation.
The military sources cited by the army advance more than fifty Huthis fighters killed, injured or captured, without any breakdown between these categories. This total cannot therefore be presented as fifty dead or as fifty prisoners. There is still an estimate provided by one party to the conflict, with no independent assessment available in the documents consulted.
The announced take of a crossroads does not further demonstrate the security of all Lahj roads. The conditions of movement of the inhabitants and humanitarian organizations must be checked separately from the military results claimed.
An emergency call for Sabiha families
As early as 12 November, the Yemeni Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour had asked humanitarian organizations and donors to strengthen their response in the Sabiha region, particularly in the area of al-Mudaraba and Ras al-Ara. He attributed damage in inhabited areas and the departure of many families to the Huthi attacks.
The Department describes housing and income losses. His appeal concerns food, shelter, drinking water and care, as well as psychological support for the most vulnerable: children, women, the elderly and the disabled. It calls for a field assessment and a census of affected households to set priorities for intervention.
This statement does not provide an accurate account of the movements caused by the fighting on 13 November alone. It describes needs already present before the announcement of the resumption of the Salih.
Kharaz: a refugee population again threatened
On 13 November, the Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights also announced the death of a Somali refugee during a bombardment of the Kharaz camp in Lahj, according to her on Thursday, 12 November. He blames the Houthis. This announcement and attribution were not independently confirmed in the items consulted; They must remain separate from the military record announced for al-Sarih.
The vulnerability of the camp was already documented by the United Nations. On 30 October, UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh explained that nearby fire was disrupting services and limiting movement. The schools were suspended and the legal and documentary procedures were interrupted, while the water supply and health aid were not easily pursued.
On that date, UNHCR indicated that it had not verified any victims among the refugees. This earlier observation does not confirm or deny the death announced two weeks later by the department.
National figures not to be attributed to the Lahj front alone
On 13 November, the International Organization for Migration increased the number of people forced to flee in the context of the new escalation to over 340,000. It warns about restrictions on transport routes, which delay the arrival of rescue. Such displacement should not be confused with all long-standing internally displaced persons.
In its update of 10 November, UNHCR estimated the number of newly displaced persons in Yemen at 321,000 between 1 August and 7 November. Lahj accounted for 20% of the reported displacements, compared with 67% for Taez. These data cover several months and several fronts: they do not measure the consequences of the only offensive around d’al-Sarih.
The same report indicates that 100 refugees had left Kharaz for Aden in a context of insecurity, and that 9,676 refugees remained in the camp. It also reports the continued closure of the Taëz-Aden road and the blocked or disputed routes, constraints that complicate access to rescue services.
The protection of civilians thus depends on very concrete conditions: to be able to leave a dangerous area, to reach a point of assistance and to maintain essential services. A local military evolution, even confirmed, would not suffice to establish that these conditions are met.
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