Houthis seize Yemen's entire west coast as 112,000 are displaced and anti-government forces launch collapse inquest

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

Yemen's anti-Houthi forces are conducting a bitter inquest after more than 15 brigades were routed and the country's entire west coast fell into Houthi hands, with some Yemeni politicians alleging that billions of dollars were paid to persuade up to 30,000 well-equipped fighters to abandon their positions. The UN migration agency confirmed on Friday that at least 112,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen within the last two weeks, while nearly 3,000 have fled by sea to Djibouti on overcrowded boats with minimal food and water. The Houthi advance is pushing towards the Bab al-Mandab strait, a critical global shipping chokepoint.

The governor of Hadramaut claims billions were paid to persuade west coast defenders to stand down, with suspicion falling on past UAE links to pro-government forces.

Djibouti is bracing for up to 10,000 refugees, with the UNHCR warning that acute pressure on health and education services in the country is already building.