Escalating conflict drives new displacement in Yemen

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The escalating conflict in Yemen is choking off aid shipments and driving fresh displacement, including to nearby Djibouti, with UN agencies reporting on Tuesday that nearly 100,000 people have been displaced since fighting intensified earlier this month.

Key points

• 93,864 individuals have been newly displaced across Yemen, said the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• Rapidly escalating hostilities along Yemen’s western coast have forced thousands more to seek safety across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in Djibouti, said the UN refugee agency, UNHCR
• Continued insecurity could affect humanitarian and commercial shipping serving Yemen and other crisis-affected countries with emergency supplies
• Nearly half of Yemen’s 41 million people need aid as acute hunger continues to grow

The ongoing recent clashes between Saudi-backed Yemeni Government forces and Iran-backed Houthi militia have triggered widespread displacement across Aden, Al Hodeidah, Abyan and Ta’iz, reflecting the widening geographic scope of the crisis, IOM said, calling for urgent support to meet the shelter, water and sanitation needs of newly displaced families.

At the same time, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said the fighting has raised concerns about further displacement inside Yemen and additional refugee movements if hostilities intensify.

“Many families fled at short notice with few belongings,” the agency reported, adding that shelter, food, clean water, healthcare and protection services are among the most urgent needs as receiving communities and displacement sites become overstretched.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has just released $9 million from the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) to provide urgent assistance to displaced families and to the communities receiving them, according to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

Aid supplies running low

“We are deeply concerned about the situation ongoing there,” he told reporters at UN Headquarters, adding that colleagues “tell us that the toll on civilians continues to grow, forcing families from their homes, killing and injuring those caught in the crossfire, and already stretched humanitarian operations are coming under growing pressure.”

Humanitarian supplies and resources are also running low. 

“We call, yet again, on the parties to protect civilians, to respect international humanitarian law, to respect international law and to facilitate the safe and unhinged access of humanitarian aid so we can reach all those who need it wherever they may be,” Mr. Dujarric said.

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Thousands flee Yemen

UNHCR also reported that rapidly escalating hostilities along Yemen’s western coast have already forced more than 2,400 people to seek safety in Djibouti over the past four days. 

More than 60 per cent are women, children and older people, and reports indicate that more people may be preparing to leave Yemen.

“People are arriving after a difficult sea journey, many exhausted, distressed and carrying what little they could take with them,” said Sandrine Desamours, UNHCR’s representative in Djibouti. “The response is already under pressure. We urgently need more support before more families arrive and needs outpace our capacity to assist them.”

Damaged roads hamper aid

Humanitarian access remains a major challenge alongside damaged roads and ongoing insecurity, UNHCR said.

In addition, telecommunications disruptions and movement restrictions are affecting operations, particularly along the west coast and between Ta’iz, At Turbah and Aden.

Damage to Al Makha port has further constrained humanitarian movement and logistics, the agency said.

Shipping alarm continues

The escalation is also raising broader concerns over the impact on global humanitarian logistics already strained by the ongoing disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, UN agencies said.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a critical maritime corridor linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

“Continued insecurity could affect humanitarian and commercial shipping serving Yemen, Sudan and other ongoing emergencies in the region and beyond, potentially increasing transport costs and delaying the delivery of critical relief supplies,” UNHCR said, warning that any further deterioration in security could force rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, adding 25 to 30 days to shipping times.

For its part, UNHCR has mitigation measures in place, with emergency supplies already en route and the possibility of land shipments from its global stockpiles in Dubai and Nairobi.

What’s the UN doing in Yemen?

UN agencies are scrambling to provide emergency assistance across Yemen.

Here are the highlights:

• Leading the inter-agency response for protection, shelter and site coordination, UNHCR works closely with humanitarian partners that continue to deliver, including financial assistance for 1,000 households, emergency shelter cash for 500 households and shelter repair kits for 1,000 households
• IOM and partners are responding to needs on the ground and continue to monitor displacement trends
• Children’s agency UNICEF continues to serve families, including targeted efforts in Marib, where social workers have provided support to 328 displaced people, including 210 boys and girls, since early August 2026

Learn more about UN efforts in Yemen here. 

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