For Mohammed Abdul Malik, the powerful explosions that have rocked Yemen’s southern port city of Aden over the past month serve as an ominous prelude to darker days. The Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for a wave of missile and drone attacks targeting strategic locations across the city, including the international airport, military camps, the port, and the presidential palace, which functions as the base for Yemen’s government.
Fearing that the city could once again plunge into widespread violence, Abdul Malik has begun taking precautions. He has stockpiled basic provisions, such as sugar and other staples, and prepared his car for a long journey if an evacuation becomes necessary. If the security situation deteriorates further and state institutions collapse, his contingency plan is to flee Aden with his family and seek refuge in Shabwa to the northeast or Hadramout to the east.
After four years of relative calm, Yemen’s civil conflict reignited in early September when the Houthis launched a major offensive to seize government-held areas in the west from the Saudi-backed, pro-government National Resistance Forces. Within a week, the Iran-backed armed group captured districts in Hodeidah and Taiz provinces, including the strategic port city of Mocha and the Bab al-Mandeb strait. A government counteroffensive in early October achieved limited gains along the Red Sea coast, but the Houthis responded by tightening their siege on Taiz after capturing a vital road linking it to Aden.
Aden, which had remained relatively peaceful despite fighting elsewhere, served as a sanctuary for thousands of displaced civilians. The recent missile and drone strikes have shattered that calm, raising anxieties that the Houthis may be attempting to capture the city. Tales of economic distress from friends who fled Taiz—where fighting and blockades have doubled prices and disrupted supplies—have heightened Abdul Malik’s worries about Aden’s vulnerability.
The strikes have severely disrupted daily life, prompting families to limit their movements, particularly after dark. The Aden international airport, currently the nation’s busiest, has borne the brunt of the attacks, forcing airlines to cancel, delay, or divert flights. For residents living nearby in districts like Khor Maksar, the explosions have taken a heavy psychological toll.
Ahmed Awadh, an Aden resident living near the airport with 10 family members, said nocturnal explosions regularly jolt children awake in terror. The disruption has affected local schools and businesses, with some parents keeping their children home or sending vulnerable relatives to neighboring Lahj and Abyan provinces. Awadh and his neighbors have organized a WhatsApp group to check on one another after each blast and have instructed their children to stay away from windows during attacks.
Aden, Yemen’s second-most important city after the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa, suffered severe destruction in 2015 during fighting between the Houthis and their opponents, accompanied by coalition airstrikes. Even after the Houthis were pushed out, the city experienced sporadic clashes among rival anti-Houthi factions.
Adeeb al-Shatri, a journalism professor at Aden and Hadramout universities, said the latest Houthi attacks have compounded the suffering of a city already burdened by lawlessness and insecurity. He questioned why the internationally recognized government left its temporary capital vulnerable without adequate air defenses. While the military claims to operate air defense systems in Aden—citing intercepted drones before they reached civilian areas—Yemen’s Information Minister, Moammar al-Eryani, did not respond to requests for comment regarding criticism of inadequate defense capabilities.
Al-Shatri noted that only wealthier residents can afford to stockpile supplies for an emergency, whereas most locals struggle to afford basic daily needs. However, he also observed that economic necessity quickly overrides fear, noting that civilian movement generally normalizes shortly after an explosion because residents must keep working to secure their daily bread.
