IOM says 2,776 Yemenis crossed into Djibouti amid west coast fighting

More than 2,700 Yemenis have crossed into Djibouti since the beginning of September amid escalating fighting along Yemen’s western coast, while more than 104,000 people have been displaced within Yemen during the same period, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday.

According to the UN agency’s latest figures, 2,776 people have crossed from Yemen to Djibouti as the humanitarian impact of the renewed fighting continues to grow.

The IOM said it was providing emergency assistance to the new arrivals in Djibouti, including 1,500 hot meals twice a day.

Fighting between forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi movement has intensified in recent months following a prolonged period of comparatively lower levels of hostilities.

Within Yemen, the IOM said 104,796 people, representing 17,461 families, had been internally displaced since the beginning of September as fighting continued along the country’s West Coast.

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“Yemen is a country torn apart by war, displacement, poverty and climate impacts,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said. “It is unacceptable to ignore the suffering of civilians as needs continue to rise.”

Humanitarian workers cited by the organisation said displacement was occurring so rapidly that aid agencies were struggling to track movements in real time. Some families were reportedly fleeing at night with few belongings because of the fighting.

Taiz governorate has recorded the largest number of newly displaced people, with more than 63,000, according to the IOM figures.

Around 26,400 people have been displaced in neighbouring Lahj governorate, while more than 3,500 have been recorded in Aden.

The IOM said displacement was also increasing in Abyan, Hadhramaut and Marib governorates as the effects of the fighting spread to additional parts of the country.

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