Yemen War Forces 130,000 From Their Homes as Fighters Seize Key Sea Route
Houthi fighters are pushing through western Yemen, forcing over 130,000 people to flee and sparking fears that 10,000 more could cross the sea to Djibouti.
More than 130,000 people have been forced from their homes across Yemen as fighting escalates and Houthi fighters advance through the country's west, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) [247939]. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) confirmed the same figure, warning that the ongoing conflict is making Yemen's already severe humanitarian crisis even worse [247358].
The displacement has been rapid. Yemen's government says nearly 147,000 people fled in just 18 days this month, between September 1 and 18 [245748]. At least 100,000 have fled since early September alone as the Iran-backed Houthi rebels push toward the coast [244664].
The rebels have seized the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a strategic waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden [244664]. The Houthis have opened a new front in western Yemen, taking new territory and upending life across the region, witnesses said [247210].
Many of those displaced have been forced to flee multiple times, the IOM said [247939]. Families are ending up in makeshift camps, while aid groups say damaged roads, restricted access and a lack of funding are slowing their efforts to help [243339]. Aid workers warn the situation could grow worse and fear a wider humanitarian catastrophe is coming [243339].
The crisis may spread beyond Yemen's borders. The United Nations warned Tuesday that renewed fighting could force more than 10,000 people to flee across the Red Sea to Djibouti in the coming months, and that displacement inside Yemen could rise above 230,000 [247921]. Displaced Yemenis who already reached Djibouti described a terrifying journey, with gunfire everywhere [244664].