Thousands of families in Yemen’s western coastal and southern regions, where fighting has intensified, have been forced to seek refuge in safer areas. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said 15,870 people had been displaced over the past week, while since June, 145,308 people, or 24,218 households, had relocated across eight governorates.
According to IOM data, the total number of displaced people rose by more than 12 percent during the period from September 21 to Monday. The escalation in fighting forced many families to move to safer areas.
Taiz records 81,444 displaced people
Taiz had the highest number of displaced people. The governorate is home to 81,444 displaced people, accounting for more than half of the total across Yemen. The displaced population in Taiz increased by approximately 8,000 in just one week.
There are 34,860 displaced people in Lahij, 12,456 in Aden, 8,244 in Hudaydah, 5,568 in Abyan, 1,974 in Hadramout, 750 in Marib and 12 in Al Mahrah.
Aden recorded the highest rate of increase. The number of displaced people in the city rose by 3,510, or approximately 40 percent, in one week.
Displaced families await assistance
Abdusattor Esoev, head of the IOM mission in Yemen, said thousands of people leave their areas every week, abandoning everything they own. Esoev said the figures represent parents trying to protect their children, older people unable to travel long distances and families that were already living with limited resources.
Esoev said displaced people urgently needed assistance and noted that the response should adapt to people’s movements. He said communities in Taiz, Lahij and Aden had welcomed those fleeing the fighting, but that goodwill alone was not enough to meet all needs.
Displaced families urgently need shelter, food and protection, while the cities hosting them also need support. IOM called for the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers and for safe, unhindered access to displaced families and host communities.
The course of the conflict in Yemen
IOM warned that new displacement could occur in the coming days if conditions remain unstable. Fighting has continued in Yemen since the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sana’a, and several governorates in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to support Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
After the fighting intensified in September, the Houthis seized control of several strategic points in the governorates of Hudaydah and Taiz. These included the strategic city of Mokha, overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Mayyun Island.
