The renewed intensification of fighting in Yemen in recent days has forced thousands of families to leave their homes. More than 85,000 people have been displaced, while around 2,000 have fled to Djibouti.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it expects more people to be displaced within Yemen or to leave the country if the fighting continues. The organization said some families had been forcibly removed from their homes, while others had left the country entirely.
Yemeni families have been fleeing for 12 years
The IOM said Yemeni families had been forced to move repeatedly over 12 years of conflict, often with almost none of their belongings remaining. The organization said access to areas affected by the fighting was becoming increasingly difficult and that communications disruptions were also making it harder to assess needs.
IOM Director General Amy Pope said each figure represented a family that had lost everything it had. Pope said many families had been displaced more than once and that people had crossed the sea with nothing because they had no other options.
Pope described Yemen as a country fragmented by poverty and conflict and said it could not carry the crisis alone. She also called on donors to increase support for those reaching Djibouti and for the people of Obock who were receiving them.
UN calls for urgent support for civilians
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Berhem Salih said he was deeply concerned about the escalation of fighting between Yemen's army and the Houthis. Salih said many families had fled the violence and that some were experiencing this for the second or third time.
Salih said access must be secured to protect civilians and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those in need. The UN official called for international support to be urgently increased to deliver assistance to those affected.
Fighting changes control map
The fighting, which has escalated again since July, has changed the map of control in Yemen. After securing control of the entire Hudaydah governorate, the Houthis advanced toward western Taiz.
The Houthis also seized the Red Sea coastal city of Mokha and the routes providing access to the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Following Mokha, the takeover of the Hanish Islands, Mayyun Island and Zubab around the Bab al-Mandab Strait marked a significant change on the battlefield.
