3,100 refugees from Yemen arrive in Djibouti — The National
About 3,100 Yemeni refugees have arrived in Djibouti due to fighting on Yemen’s western coast, most of them women and children. Among those who crossed the Red Sea in overcrowded boats were pregnant women just days before giving birth; some of them gave birth after arriving in Djibouti, The National reports.
Refugees are arriving in Obock, Khor Angar, Moulhoule and Godoria. UNICEF Representative in Djibouti Ramatou Touré said the influx could become the largest displacement of people from Yemen since the start of the civil war in 2014.
Need for water and medical assistance
According to Touré, initially about 50 people a day were arriving in Djibouti, but on September 13, around 1,000 people reached the country. This happened two days after the Houthis seized Yemen’s entire western coast.
People are arriving exhausted and dehydrated and are immediately provided with water and food. At the same time, many children require urgent medical care: even before the latest escalation, around 2.2 million Yemeni children under the age of five suffered from acute malnutrition. UNICEF is deploying staff to care for children when their mothers are unable to do so.
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Humanitarian organizations report that due to the large number of displaced people, some are sleeping in the open, while clashes are also occurring over water and other essential items.
Planning aid for new refugees
According to the latest UN data, another 100,000 people have fled their homes in Yemen because of fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and forces opposing them. In Taiz alone, 94,000 people have left combat areas since September 8, representing a 135% increase in the number of displaced people.
Djibouti’s authorities are coordinating the humanitarian response with the support of UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations. According to Touré, humanitarian services are planning assistance for 10,000 people over the coming months. UNICEF has appealed for $2.7 million to meet urgent needs over the next three months.
