DUBAI: Humanitarian organizations are warning that more than 80,000 people are on the move in Yemen as fighting and shifting front lines disrupt access to essential healthcare, with damaged medical facilities, overstretched services and closed roads.

 Aid groups say thousands of families are fleeing intensified airstrikes, shelling and armed clashes across Yemen, often arriving in safer areas without basic necessities or reliable access to healthcare.

 The latest escalation is placing further pressure on a health system already struggling after years of conflict, economic crisis and cuts to international aid. A prolonged escalation could rapidly worsen the country’s already severe humanitarian crisis, say aid organizations.

 For Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the impact is particularly clear in the western city of Mokha, where fighting and shifting front lines are disrupting both healthcare services and the movement of patients.

 Marc Schakal, operational cell manager and humanitarian leader for MSF, told Arab News that Mokha General Hospital, where the organization operates, is currently the only functioning health facility in the area.

 Its capacity has been reduced because some staff have left and some patients are staying away because of security concerns, Schakal said.

 Houthi forces took control of Mokha and other parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast in recent days, while targeted airstrikes and sporadic clashes continue around the city, he said.

 Road access remains unstable, while airstrikes have also recently targeted Mokha’s airport.

 The MSF is engaging with the Houthis to secure space to maintain its medical activities in the city, Schakal said.

 “We try to continue to provide the basic health services where we are,” he said.

 Displaced families face growing risks

 The data of people on the move was released by international aid organizations operating in Yemen and the Ministry of Health.

 Schakal said many health facilities had been damaged or put out of service by fighting over the past 10 days, forcing people to travel further to access medical care.

 The MSF has also seen patients wounded in the conflict arriving at hospitals in Aden, he said.

 One of the biggest challenges is the disruption to the medical referral system. “There is a big challenge on the referral corridor,” Schakal said.

 Patients are often stabilized at one facility before being transferred to a hospital where they can receive more advanced care. However, those transfers are being jeopardized by the conflict, with some roads closed and families forced to travel further to find treatment.

 “The families who are moving, displaced by the conflict, they come without any belongings,” Schakal said.

He said displaced people were also facing risks linked to sanitation, access to food and the spread of disease among unvaccinated children.

 The situation also poses particular risks for pregnant women who may require emergency obstetric care while being forced to move between areas.

“The situation is rather difficult for the moment for many of these people,” Schakal said.

Aid groups warn of wider humanitarian impact

Islamic Relief said thousands more families were being displaced every day in Taiz, Lahj and Aden as airstrikes, shelling and armed clashes intensified.

Many were fleeing without shelter, food, water, clothing or access to medical care, the organization said, adding that it was preparing to provide assistance to displaced families.

The latest displacement is unfolding against the backdrop of an already severe humanitarian crisis.

Around 22 million people, roughly two-thirds of Yemen’s population, are already in need of humanitarian assistance following years of conflict and economic crisis, according to Islamic Relief.

Essential services including healthcare and water supplies are severely overstretched, while cuts to international aid have forced some critical services to shut down, it said.

Islamic Relief warned that further escalation could rapidly reverse fragile improvements made since the 2022 truce and push millions of Yemenis back into a wider humanitarian catastrophe.

Preparing for further escalation

The MSF is preparing an emergency response plan with the hospital it supports in Aden and is ready to scale up its work in Mokha if the number of patients increases, Schakal said.

The organization is preparing for two possible scenarios: an increase in wounded people arriving at hospitals in safer areas such as Aden, and a further rise in displacement that could overwhelm communities and services in areas receiving them.

“The other scenario is increasing number of displaced people that might really create a big burden and a crisis on the places where they would be located,” Schakal said.

The MSF is monitoring the movement of the front lines to anticipate where support would be most needed.

“For the moment it’s not stable, so it’s difficult to have a clear view,” Schakal said.