---
title: "Yemen conflict six years: Close to 700,000 people forecast to flee their homes this year"
description: "As the world’s worst humanitarian crisis enters its seventh year, another 672,000 people could be displaced by the end of 2021 if current levels of violence continue, according to United Nations predictions. 834 civilian houses have already been hit by armed violence so far this year."
url: "https://www.nrc.no/news/2021/march/yemen-conflict-six-years-close-to-700000-people-forecast-to-flee-their-homes-this-year"
language: "en"
published: "2021-03-23T07:00:00Z"
modified: "2021-03-22T20:25:45Z"
---

Abdullah Hasan Al-Shara’ai, aged 65, points out the extensive damage to his home in Taiz city, which he used to partially rent out for an income. “The home was damaged and everything inside it was destroyed. I lost everything I have and now I live inside two rooms in a hotel,” he says. Abdullah's son broke his leg fleeing gunshots, and has not walked since. Photo: Khalid Al-Banna/NRC

# Yemen conflict six years: Close to 700,000 people forecast to flee their homes this year

Published 23. Mar 2021|Updated 22. Mar 2021

[Yemen](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=120) [War and conflict](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=308)

This article was first published more than 5 years ago

As the world’s worst humanitarian crisis enters its seventh year, another 672,000 people could be displaced by the end of 2021 if current levels of violence continue, according to United Nations predictions. 834 civilian houses have already been hit by armed violence so far this year.

“Yemenis have endured six years of empty promises from world leaders, many of whom continue to fan the flames of this war. Decisive action is needed now to cease the relentless countdown towards an entirely preventable famine,” said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). “Yemenis need three things to reverse this nightmare: a famine-prevention ceasefire, a doubling of aid and the resumption of peace talks.”

Six years of war has had devastating impact on Yemen’s people, economy and development, setting back the country’s human development by 21 years and robbing a generation of their future. If the conflict continues, Yemenis already facing humanitarian crisis of extreme proportions can only expect their situation to deteriorate further.

As the country enters a seventh year of conflict, NRC is warning that Yemen is sliding back into full-scale war with flare ups in Marib, Hodeidah, Taiz and Hajjah leading to displacements, mass civilian casualties and continued attacks on homes, farms, hospitals and schools.

“Before the war, we used to enjoy a comfortable life and had three meals a day. How could I have stayed when there were bullets over our heads all the time? It is a frontline,” said Ali Ali Ayyash, a displaced father from Hodeidah.

By 2019, the armed conflict had killed nearly a quarter of a million people either directly as a result of hostilities, or indirectly due to inadequate supplies of food, healthcare and infrastructure, according to [independent analysis](https://yemen.un.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/Assessing%20the%20Impact%20of%20War%20on%20Development%20in%20Yemen.pdf). In 2020 alone, an estimated 2,087 civilians were killed or injured, with an increased proportion of these being women and children.

“When I visited Yemen earlier this month, I was shocked to my core by how inhumane the situation had become after six long years of war. The conflict is the source of endless suffering for Yemenis and must be extinguished,” said Egeland.

**Facts and figures:**

- [4 million people](https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-needs-overview-2021-february-2021) have been displaced by the war since 2015.
- [66 per cent of Yemen’s population](https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-needs-overview-2021-february-2021) – over 20 million people – need some form of aid.
- Half the population – [16 million](https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-needs-overview-2021-february-2021) – will not have access to enough food.
- Only [half of health facilities and two-thirds of schools](https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Yemen_HNO_2021_Final.pdf) are currently
- Water infrastructure is operating at [less than 5 per cent efficiency](https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Yemen_HNO_2021_Final.pdf).
- An average of [one child dies every 10 minutes](https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/life-waking-nightmare-12-million-children-yemen) from preventable causes.
- [672,000 people](https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Yemen_HNO_2021_Final.pdf) are expected to be displaced in 2021, 48 per cent women, 53 per cent children and adolescents, and 4 per cent elderly people.
- Yemen’s development has already been set back [21 years](https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/assessing-impact-war-development-yemen) by the war.
- The number of conflict frontlines [jumped last year to 49](https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Yemen_HNO_2021_Final.pdf), from 33 in 2019.
- From 1 January 2021 – 17 March 2021, 834 civilian houses have been hit by armed violence, according to the Civilian Impact Monitoring Project.

**Notes to editors:**

- [B-rolls for free use can be downloaded here](https://www.dropbox.com/s/0mz443ry15kfgba/NRC%20Yemen%20six%20years%20b-roll.wmv?dl=0).
- [Photos and stories for free use can be downloaded here](https://nrc.smugmug.com/Country-Programmes/Yemen/2021-Yemen/Six-years-of-war-portraits/Public-press-gallery-portraits-of-six-years-of-war/n-FcqbF9/ "here").

**For more information or interview, please contact:**

- In Aden: Riona Judge McCormack, Media and Communications Coordinator: [mccormack@nrc.no](mailto:riona.mccormack@nrc.no), WhatsApp +353 85 257 1926

* In Oslo: NRC’s global media hotline: phone +47 905 623 29 or email media@nrc.no