From: Oromia Refugee Network (ORN)
Date: 16 October 2026
Escalating war in Yemen, a spreading cholera outbreak, and grave danger to Oromo refugees, including those in and around Al-Kharaz Refugee Camp
A life-threatening emergency is unfolding
The Oromia Refugee Network (ORN) is sounding the alarm. Yemen’s war has reignited on several fronts at once, cholera is spreading through displacement sites, and refugees who fled persecution in the Horn of Africa are again trapped between armed actors. They have no safe exit, and ORN’s contacts report that Oromo refugees in Yemen, registered or not, have no protection of any kind and no known authority responsible for them. Without swift action, we fear preventable deaths from violence, disease, hunger and forced conscription.
KEY FACTSAS OF 16 OCTOBER 2026Houthi offensive began; government launched “Dawn of Yemen”3 Sept 2026; 5 Oct 2026[1,4]
People displaced since fighting escalatedMore than 217,000 (IOM)[11,20]
Suspected cholera cases per week217 → 647 in three weeks (WHO)[12]
Suspected cholera cases / deaths in 20268,034 / 27[12]
Killed in the 15 Oct missile attack on Aden’s presidential complex5 killed, 16 wounded[8]
Refugees and asylum-seekers in Yemen (mainly Somali and Ethiopian)About 65,000[15]
UNHCR Yemen operation funding in 202618 percent funded[15]
Protection or assistance reaching Oromo refugees (ORN field contacts) None, in Sana’a, Al-Kharaz or elsewhere
1. The war is widening around Taiz and beyond
- The Houthis launched a new offensive on 3 September 2026 [1]. On 5 October the government announced a nationwide operation, “Dawn of Yemen,” aimed at recapturing Houthi-held territory, including the capital, Sana’a [4].
- By 4 October the Houthis had cut the last main road linking Taiz city to other government-held areas. Local officials describe a siege more severe than the one in 2015, affecting some 2.8 million people in government-held Taiz governorate plus another 200,000 recently displaced [2].
- Taiz health authorities report that medicines, IV fluids, medical supplies and fuel are nearing depletion [3]. Government forces report heavy fighting on five fronts around the city [4].
- Fighting has spread to neighbouring Lahj governorate, where clashes are reported on the Al-Mudaraba and Al-Wazi’iya fronts [5,6]. Fighting is also reported in Marib and al-Jawf [5].
2. Aden and Sana’a are under attack
- On 15 October the Houthis fired missiles at the presidential palace complex in Aden, killing five people and wounding 16 [8]. It was the first attack on Aden since fighting resumed [9].
- Sana’a has faced dozens of air strikes since the government offensive began, including an attack on the international airport that killed two workers. A strike in the Sa’wan area killed a child and wounded seven other civilians [10].
- More than 217,000 people have fled their homes since the escalation began [11,20]. Many have fled more than once.
3. Cholera is already spreading, and the response is almost unfunded
- WHO reports that suspected cholera cases tripled in three weeks, from 217 to 647 per week. Yemen has recorded 8,034 suspected cases and 27 deaths this year, a quarter of them in the last four weeks [12].
- Five governorates hosting large displaced populations (Abyan, Lahj, al-Dhalea, Taiz and Aden) account for 92 percent of cases [13]. Cholera has also reached remote displacement camps in Hadramout that are hard for health teams to reach [12].
- WHO has secured only $3.78 million of the $31 million needed for its 90-day emergency response [13]. Measles compounds the danger, with more than 22,800 suspected cases and 128 deaths this year [14].
- More than 3,800 people fleeing the violence had crossed to Djibouti by 2 October [12].
4. Refugees and migrants are among the most exposed
- Yemen hosts about 65,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, mainly from Somalia and Ethiopia. UNHCR’s Yemen operation is only 18 percent funded for 2026 [15].
- Al-Kharaz in Lahj is Yemen’s only refugee camp, hosting nearly 9,490 refugees and asylum-seekers, mostly from Somalia and Ethiopia [16].
- IOM recorded more than 20,000 journeys from Ethiopia toward Yemen since 10 September, and most migrants are unaware of the escalating fighting [18]. Most boats land on the Gulf of Aden coast in Lahj and Abyan [19]. New arrivals, many of them Oromo, are walking into an active conflict zone.
5. Military activity near Al-Kharaz Refugee Camp
Al-Kharaz lies in the Al-Madharibah district of Lahj governorate [17]. Press reports place fighting on the Al-Mudaraba front in Lahj [5,6]. ORN has confirmed through its own contacts in the area that military activity is taking place close to the camp. At the time of writing, no independent media outlet had reported strikes or shelling on the camp itself. According to ORN’s contacts, no UNHCR operation is functioning for Oromo refugees at Al-Kharaz, as in Sana’a and elsewhere in Yemen.
Fighting near an isolated, under-resourced camp threatens refugees directly. It risks panic and forced displacement into unsafe areas, and it can cut off food, water, medicine and aid access just as cholera spreads.
6. No protection, no operation, no responsible authority
ORN’s contacts on the ground report the following for Oromo refugees across Yemen, including Sana’a, Al-Kharaz and elsewhere:
- No protection of any kind. Neither registered nor unregistered Oromo refugees receive protection. No UNHCR operation is functioning for them.
- No known authority responsible. There is nobody to report abuse to, request evacuation from, or ask for food, water or medical care. Oromo refugees are effectively unattended in the middle of a war.
- Registration has not meant protection. The majority of Oromo refugees in Yemen are registered, yet they receive no protection. The number of unregistered Oromo is not known; they have no documentation and are the most likely to be overlooked entirely.
- No safe exit. Most Oromo refugees cannot return to Ethiopia without risking persecution, and they cannot leave Yemen without help.
This contrasts with UNHCR’s public announcement of an emergency response for Yemen, which includes relief items and cash-for-shelter for displaced Yemeni families in Aden and Lahj [15]. ORN asks UNHCR to state publicly what operation exists for Oromo refugees and where.
7. Left behind: host communities flee and are assisted, Oromo refugees cannot and are not
- Host communities are leaving the conflict areas, either for Djibouti, where more than 3,800 people had arrived by 2 October [12], or for rural areas.
- Oromo refugees cannot follow. ORN’s contacts report that their difference in skin colour from host communities makes it impossible to move unnoticed or blend into rural areas, and that many lack the money to travel or cross the sea.
- Host communities affected by the conflict are receiving assistance. Oromo refugees are not included in it.
- In a crisis affecting millions, Oromo refugees risk being forgotten entirely and being left behind in the places people are fleeing.
8. Risk of forced recruitment of Oromo refugee youth
ORN is gravely concerned that young Oromo refugees, both within the camp community and outside it, may be pressured, coerced or forced to serve as fighters by either side. This is a risk ORN has identified; at the time of writing it is not a documented incident.
- Houthi leaders are reported to be pressing tribal sheikhs for more fighters as losses mount on the fronts [7].
- The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of forced recruitment in areas they entered in Taiz [6].
- Young refugee men with no protection, no income and no known authority to turn to are especially easy to coerce. Unregistered youth, with no documentation at all, are the most exposed.
Forcing civilians to fight and recruiting children into armed forces are prohibited under international law. Refugee camps must keep their civilian and humanitarian character.
Our appeal
All parties to the conflict
- Protect civilians, refugees and migrants, and respect international humanitarian law. Do not target or use camps, shelters and IDP sites for military purposes.
- Do not recruit, coerce or abduct refugee youth, inside camps or outside them. Guarantee safe humanitarian access around Al-Kharaz and across Lahj.
- Designate an accountable authority or focal point for Oromo refugees in every area you control, so they have someone to turn to.
UN, UNHCR, IOM, WHO, UNICEF and WFP
- Launch and fund cholera prevention and response in camps, IDP sites and urban refugee settlements, including Al-Kharaz: safe water, sanitation, oral rehydration, treatment centres, vaccination and hygiene supplies.
- UNHCR: state publicly what operation exists for Oromo refugees, then restore or establish protection and assistance for them in Sana’a, Al-Kharaz, Aden and elsewhere, registered and unregistered alike.
- Include Oromo refugees in every emergency distribution and cash, shelter and health programme offered to host communities.
- Strengthen protection monitoring against forced recruitment, register unregistered Oromo refugees quickly, and include all Oromo refugees in protection and evacuation planning.
- Prepare emergency evacuation, relocation and resettlement pathways for refugees in imminent danger.
Donor governments and funding bodies
- Fund the WHO and UNHCR appeals immediately. Funding gaps cost lives.
The African Union, IGAD, the Arab League and neighbouring states
- Use diplomatic influence and humanitarian capacity to secure safe passage, temporary protection and emergency support for refugees and migrants fleeing the violence.
Oromo organisations, diaspora communities and civil society
- Mobilise now: raise funds, amplify this alert, lobby your governments and support direct assistance to Oromo refugees in Yemen.
Media and human rights organizations
- Document and report on the situation of refugees and migrants in Yemen, and keep it in the public eye.
A final word
Refugees in Yemen did not choose this war and have nowhere else to flee. Every day of delay brings more suffering and more preventable deaths. The world has the means to respond. What is needed is the will to act, and to act now.
Oromia Refugee Network (ORN)
The President’s Office
Tel/WhatsApp: +252 63 4645550 | Web: oromiarefugeenetwork.org |
References
Sources checked on 16 October 2026. Casualty figures from the parties to the conflict are not independently verified; the figures used here come from UN agencies, WHO and wire-service reporting.
[1] Wikipedia, “2026 Yemen offensives.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Yemen_offensives
[2] Al Jazeera, “Yemen’s Taiz under siege again as food and fuel prices rise,” 10 Oct 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/10/yemens-taiz-under-siege-again-as-food-and-fuel-prices-rise
[3] Al Jazeera, “Deadly Houthi attacks in Yemen’s Taiz as government forces advance in Marib,” 13 Oct 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/13/deadly-houthi-attacks-in-yemens-taiz-as-government-forces-advance-in-marib
[4] Arab News, “Yemeni forces vow to break Houthi siege of Taiz, hail Saudi support,” 14 Oct 2026. https://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/yemeni-forces-vow-to-break-houthi-siege-of-taiz-hail-saudi-support-3006338
[5] Asharq Al-Awsat, “Fighting Deepens Pressure on Taiz as Houthi Leaders Captured,” 15 Oct 2026. https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5330055-fighting-deepens-pressure-taiz-houthi-leaders-captured
[6] Asharq Al-Awsat, “17,000 Strikes on Houthis Since Launch of Operation Dawn of Yemen,” 16 Oct 2026. https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5330369-17000-strikes-houthis-launch-operation-dawn-yemen
[7] Asharq Al-Awsat, “Sanaa Tribes Hamper Houthi Push to Expand Recruitment,” 16 Oct 2026. https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5330371-sanaa-tribes-hamper-houthi-push-expand-recruitment
[8] Reuters (via Investing.com), “Yemen’s Houthis hit palace in Aden, coalition details attacks on Saudi infrastructure,” 15 Oct 2026. https://www.investing.com/news/commodities-news/yemens-houthis-hit-palace-in-aden-coalition-details-attacks-on-saudi-infrastructure-4952575
[9] The National, “Yemen’s Houthi rebels hit Presidential Palace in Aden,” 15 Oct 2026. https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/15/yemens-houthi-rebels-hit-presidential-palace-in-aden/
[10] Al Jazeera, “Fear and uncertainty for civilians as Yemen’s capital comes under attack,” 11 Oct 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news-analysis/2026/10/11/fear-and-uncertainty-for-civilians-as-yemens-capital-comes-under-attack
[11] Arab News / AFP, “Suspected cholera cases surging in Yemen: WHO,” 13 Oct 2026. https://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/suspected-cholera-cases-surging-in-yemen-who-3006144
[12] WHO EMRO, “Cholera cases surge as conflict in Yemen displaces over 200 000 people,” 13 Oct 2026. https://www.emro.who.int/media/news/cholera-cases-surge-as-conflict-in-yemen-displaces-over-200-000-people.html
[13] Al Jazeera, “Cholera cases surge in Yemen as conflict intensifies, WHO says,” 13 Oct 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/13/cholera-cases-surge-in-yemen-as-conflict-intensifies-who-says
[14] UN News, “Yemen: Houthi siege, cholera outbreak and aid cuts put civilians in the crosshairs,” 13 Oct 2026. https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168589
[15] UNHCR, “Escalating conflict in Yemen could fuel more displacement, refugee movement,” 22 Sep 2026. https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/escalating-conflict-yemen-could-fuel-more-displacement-refugee-movement
[16] UNHCR Yemen, Kharaz Camp Factsheet 2025, 24 Sep 2025. https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/118796
[17] SABA, “Lahj governor, UNHCR discuss a mechanism to develop services at Khraz refugees camp” (camp location in Al-Madharibah district; undated). https://www.sabanew.net/story/en/103129
[18] UN News, “Djibouti faces ‘overlapping emergencies’ as Yemen’s refugee exodus continues,” 6 Oct 2026. https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168535
[19] Mixed Migration Centre, “Across Bab el-Mandeb strait, Yemenis flee as migrants arrive,” 2026. https://mixedmigration.org/publications/mmr/2026/bab-el-mandeb-yemenis-flee-migrants-arrive/
[20] UN Secretary-General’s Spokesperson, Daily Press Briefing, 12 Oct 2026. https://press.un.org/en/2026/db261012.doc.htm
