112,000 people displaced by fighting in Yemen — Jerusalem Post
At least 112,000 people in Yemen have become internally displaced over the past two weeks due to fighting on the country’s western coast. Nearly 3,000 more people reached Djibouti by sea, the Jerusalem Post reports, citing UN agencies.
Escape across the Gulf of Aden
Sandrine Desamours, a representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said that nearly 3,000 people crossed the Gulf of Aden in less than a week. According to her, escalating violence is forcing an increasing number of families to leave Yemen and seek refuge in Djibouti.
The International Organization for Migration reported that people are leaving the country in overcrowded boats with very limited supplies of food and water. Yemeni families mostly arrive in Djibouti, although the organization is also recording a small number of migrants, mainly from Ethiopia, traveling along the same route.
The Djibouti government is preparing for the possible arrival of up to 10,000 refugees. According to Desamours, this will place a significant additional burden on the country’s healthcare and education systems.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Fighting on the western coast
The Houthis, whom the publication describes as an Iran-linked group, have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabian cities and energy infrastructure. At the same time, they are advancing along Yemen’s Red Sea coast toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an important shipping route.
In response to the Houthi offensive, the air forces of Saudi Arabia and Yemen struck their targets. Authorities in Somaliland and Puntland also reported an increase in arrivals from Yemen, including Yemeni refugees and Somalis returning home. The number currently stands at hundreds of people.
UN agencies called the new escalation a crisis compounded by Yemen’s prolonged humanitarian emergency. The country’s healthcare systems and economy have been severely affected by the protracted war between the forces of the internationally recognized administration, supported by Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis.
