Djibouti: More than 82,000 people have been displaced from Yemen's western coastal provinces since early September due to ongoing conflict, with over 2,000 individuals reaching Djibouti, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Sunday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the IOM reported that since the beginning of September, 82,164 individuals have been displaced as hostilities continue along Yemen's western coast, particularly in the provinces of Taiz, Al Hudaydah, and Lahj. The agency noted that over 2,000 individuals fleeing the hostilities have arrived on Djibouti's northern shores, landing at various points along the coast near Obock.
Earlier on Sunday, Djibouti's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Diaa-Eddin Bamakhrama, stated that around 1,400 Yemenis had arrived in the country within the last 24 hours due to the escalation in Yemen's western coastal regions. The UN agency mentioned that Djiboutian authorities are leading the humanitarian response, mobilizing the Navy, army, police, and health services, with support from IOM and UN partners.
The new arrivals, including many women and young children, have been relocated to the Markazi site in Obock, where they are receiving essential aid such as water, high-energy biscuits, and hot meals. The IOM warned that more people are expected to flee as the fighting intensifies.
IOM Director General Amy Pope emphasized the human toll, stating, "Behind every number is a family who's lost everything. Many have been displaced multiple times." She added that people are crossing the sea with nothing because they have no other choice left, highlighting Yemen's dire situation due to poverty and conflict. Pope urged donors to increase support for those arriving in Djibouti and the local communities hosting them.
On Saturday, the IOM reported that Taiz has been the hardest-hit province in the latest wave of displacement, with 8,300 families, or approximately 50,000 people, displaced from various districts. It also recorded the displacement of 2,819 families in Lahj, nearly 17,000 people; 1,374 families, or 8,100 people, in Al Hudaydah; and 191 families, or 1,100 people, in Aden. The agency warned that displacement numbers are "rising rapidly" as the fighting escalates and are expected to increase further.
Clashes between government forces and the Houthis have intensified since early July 2026, following years of relative calm. Recently, Yemen's battlefield map has experienced significant shifts amid the escalating conflict. The Houthi group has announced control of several districts in Al Hudaydah and Taiz along the western coast, as well as islands in the Red Sea. According to matching Houthi and media reports, the districts claimed by the group include Hays and Al-Khawkhah in Al Hudaydah, and Al-Wazi'iyah, Mawza, Mocha, Dhubab, and the remaining parts of Maqbanah in Taiz.
Meanwhile, government forces have reported advances in the northern province of Al-Jawf near the Saudi border, moving closer to Al-Hazm, the provincial capital, parts of which remain under Houthi control. Overall, the Houthis control most of northern and western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and several provinces, while government forces and allied groups hold the interim capital Aden and other regions. The conflict in Yemen began in September 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa, leading to a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervention in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.