UN: 268,000 displaced in Yemen, thousands flee to Djibouti

The International Organization for Migration said Sunday that more than 268,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen since July, with almost all recorded movements occurring since early September as conflict between government forces and the Houthi group intensifies.

Mass displacement

The UN agency recorded the displacement figure as of Oct. 23, noting that families are increasingly seeking safety farther south. The number of displaced people in Aden has more than doubled since Oct. 7 to over 42,000, while Lahj hosts around 67,000, according to the IOM. Displaced families have taken shelter in 62 districts across 10 governorates, stretching as far east as Al Maharah.

Escalating conflict in western Yemen has driven thousands beyond the country’s borders. As of Oct. 17, at least 3,836 Yemenis had arrived in Djibouti by sea, half of them children, including 282 under five. Most reported fleeing worsening insecurity, with several boats reportedly coming ashore short of their destination after running out of fuel. Separately, the organization recorded 1,327 migrants crossing by sea from Yemen to Djibouti as they returned toward their countries of residence.

Dire conditions

Many face difficulties accessing clean water, health care and basic services amid severe fuel shortages and soaring food and medicine prices. Families are sheltering in overcrowded public buildings or sleeping outdoors, often without adequate sanitation. Women, children, older people and people with disabilities face heightened protection risks, while humanitarian access restrictions in Taiz continue to delay aid delivery.

Funding crisis

“The scale and speed of this displacement is leaving families in desperate need of help, and our response is struggling to keep pace,” said Abdusattor Esoev, IOM’s chief of mission in Yemen. “Our teams are reaching people every day, but funding is falling far short. Without urgent support, more families will go without assistance that could save their lives.”

“Many families have had to flee more than once, each time facing the struggle to find somewhere safe to stay and access the support they need,” Esoev said. “Support must reach both displaced families and the communities hosting them now, before more lives are put at risk.” The organization urged donors to increase support and called on all parties to protect civilians and humanitarian workers and ensure safe, unimpeded access to those in need.

Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since the Houthis seized Sanaa and several other provinces in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government. The Houthis control much of northern and western Yemen, while government forces and their allies hold Aden and large parts of the country’s southern and eastern provinces.