UN warns up to 230,000 at risk of displacement as violence escalates in Yemen
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Renewed full-scale hostilities across Yemen could force over 230,000 people from their homes in the coming months, while driving thousands of refugees across the Red Sea to Djibouti, the United Nations refugee agency warned on Tuesday.
Speaking at a news briefing in Geneva, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesman Babar Baloch stated that internal displacement within Yemen could surge dramatically from the more than 130,000 people currently uprooted.
At the same time, the agency is preparing for a sharp rise in refugees fleeing across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
"The number of refugees fleeing across the Red Sea to Djibouti could jump from around 3,000 today to more than 10,000 in the coming months," Baloch said, emphasizing that UNHCR is actively planning for at least 10,000 new arrivals in the Horn of Africa nation.
The sharp escalation along Yemen's western coast has forced thousands of families to make hazardous sea crossings in small, overcrowded boats to reach northern Djibouti.
Over 60% of those arriving are women, children, and the elderly, many of whom arrive exhausted and carrying only basic necessities.
Aid agencies report that reception centers in Djibouti are already operating under severe pressure, struggling to provide emergency shelter, clean water, healthcare, and food.
