Yemen’s territorial map has changed repeatedly since Houthi forces seized Sanaa on September 21, 2014, yet no faction has established control over the entire country. The Houthis advanced south from Saada after anger over fuel-subsidy cuts, mobilising protests and joining forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi fled to Aden in February 2015 and later Saudi Arabia, prompting Riyadh to intervene militarily in March to restore his internationally recognised government.
The alliance with Saleh collapsed in 2017 after he appeared ready to change sides; Houthi forces killed him in Sanaa that December. The Houthis then consolidated control over much of the northwestern highlands, including the capital and Hodeidah, while government-aligned forces held territory in the south and east. The 2018 Stockholm Agreement stopped a government offensive against Hodeidah, a major route for food, fuel and aid, but it did not resolve the wider conflict.
Anti-Houthi forces also remained divided. The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council seized Aden in 2019 and repeatedly fought forces aligned with the government despite belonging to the same broader coalition. Hadi later transferred his powers to an eight-member Presidential Leadership Council. Other armed groups retained separate zones, including Tareq Saleh’s National Resistance Forces on parts of the Red Sea coast and the Hadrami Elite Forces along coastal Hadramout. By 2025, the Houthis still held Sanaa and most of the northwest, while government-aligned forces operated across much of the south and east.
The latest shift followed a Houthi advance along the western coast and toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime route. On October 4, the government announced Operation Dawn of Yemen, and on October 5 it began a Saudi-backed offensive with the stated objective of retaking territory including Sanaa. Government forces and the Southern Giants Brigades reported capturing positions near Dhubab, Bab al-Mandeb, Haifan, western Taiz and al-Waziiya; later claims placed government troops near the Maas camp and north of Harib in Marib. The extent of some coastal gains remained unconfirmed, while Houthi forces tightened pressure around Taiz and controlled the main road linking the city to the south.
The offensive has widened beyond Yemen’s front lines. The Houthis continued missile attacks against Saudi targets, including an October 10 strike on Riyadh’s airport that killed 13 people.
The escalation has accelerated displacement. The International Organization for Migration recorded more than 200,000 displaced people by October 7, including more than 3,700 who crossed the sea to Djibouti. As the government tries to coordinate forces with different political loyalties and the Houthis retain the capital and much of the northwest, the newest battlefield gains have not produced a unified national authority.