Updated

Fighting between Yemeni government-aligned forces and Houthi rebels intensified further this week, with Yemeni forces continuing a counteroffensive aimed at retaking the capital Sanaa amid clashes in the al-Bayda and al-Jawf provinces. The Houthis launched a wave of attacks on Saudi cities and energy facilities, injuring at least 73 people and sparking fires at oil installations, prompting Saudi Arabia to vow a forceful response to the Iran-backed group. The reignited war has also fueled a fresh wave of child recruitment by both government and Houthi forces, according to reporting from the ground, as the conflict draws in younger fighters amid the escalating violence. The combination of a widening Saudi-Houthi confrontation and worsening humanitarian conditions for children underscores the risk of a broader regional spillover from the Yemen conflict.