Most report fleeing worsening insecurity, with several boats reportedly coming ashore short of their destination as fuel runs out
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New data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has shown how thousands of people have fled Yemen by sea to Djibouti as conflict escalates in western parts of the country.
As of 17 October, 3,836 Yemenis arrived in Djibouti – half of whom are children, including 282 under the age of five. IOM also recorded more than 1,300 migrants crossing from Yemen to Djibouti by sea as they returned toward their nations of residence.
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Alongside this, displacement inside Yemen has continued as conflict rises. As of 23 October, more than 268,000 people had been displaced – almost all since the beginning of September.
In Aden, the number of displaced individuals has more than doubled since 7 October to more than 42,000. In Lahj, around 67,000 people are currently displaced. Many families are finding it difficult to obtain clean water, basic services and healthcare. Displacement is now occurring across ten governorates. Ta’iz is the most affected, with 114,708 displaced people.
‘The scale and speed of this displacement is leaving families in desperate need of help, and our response is struggling to keep pace,’ said IOM Yemen Chief of Mission Abdusattor Esoev. ‘Our teams are reaching people every day, but funding is falling far short. Without urgent support, more families will go without assistance that could save their lives.’
The IOM faces a funding gap of more than $30million across the next six months, with Yemen’s humanitarian response plan only 20 per cent funded.
Across Yemen, instability and increased fighting have caused large-scale displacement in the last several years. Since 2014, the population of internally displaced people in Yemen has increased by more than tenfold. In total, more than 4.5 million people – of whom 80 per cent are women and children – have been forced to flee their homes, while 1.6 million people live in informal displacement sites.
However, life within the camps can be incredibly difficult. Access to clean water and functioning health facilities is limited, meaning illnesses and disease can spread easily. In addition, there is a high risk of fires, flooding and sandstorms that can destroy camps and the tents that comprise them.
