Yemen conflict displaces over 112,000 people, nearly 3,000 flee to Djibouti

Renewed fighting along Yemen's west coast has displaced over 112,000 people internally within two weeks, while nearly 3,000 have fled by sea to Djibouti. The escalation is driven by a Houthi offensive toward the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, prompting retaliatory Saudi and Yemeni airstrikes. The influx of refugees is putting acute pressure on Djibouti's services, while humanitarian agencies struggle to reach trapped civilians amid fears of a return to full-scale civil war.

Houthi Red Sea offensive

• ▪Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis stepped up attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure while advancing along Yemen's Red Sea coast toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
• ▪The Houthi advance along the Red Sea coast tightens the group's control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic chokepoint for global oil and commodities shipping.

Displacement camp humanitarian conditions

• ▪Displaced families arriving at camps in Taiz, such as Al-Shimayateen, face severe overcrowding, with multiple families sharing single tents or rooms to split costs.
• ▪Save the Children reported that at least 19 children were killed and 49 injured in Yemen between August 1 and September 9, 2026, amid the escalating violence.

UN emergency assistance operations

• ▪The International Organisation for Migration is providing emergency assistance to new arrivals in Djibouti, including distributing 1,500 hot meals twice a day.
• ▪Ali Qaid, manager of the executive unit for displacement camps in Taiz, stated that active combat prevents humanitarian organizations from reaching trapped civilians with assistance.

Yemen internal displacement crisis

• ▪The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that renewed fighting in Yemen displaced at least 125,000 people, or about 18,000 households, since the start of September 2026.
• ▪The International Organisation for Migration reported that internal displacement in Yemen reached 26,400 people in Lahj governorate and over 3,500 people in Aden.
• ▪At least 112,000 people have been internally displaced inside Yemen within a two-week period in September 2026 due to renewed fighting along the country's west coast.
• ▪Taiz governorate recorded the highest level of internal displacement in Yemen, with the International Organisation for Migration reporting over 63,000 newly displaced people in the province.

Debatable claims

• ▪Saudi Arabia should halt its airstrikes against Houthi forces in Yemen
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Refugee exodus to Djibouti

• ▪Authorities in Somaliland and Puntland reported increased arrivals of hundreds of refugees from Yemen, including Yemeni refugees and returning Somali refugees.
• ▪The government of Djibouti is preparing for the arrival of up to 10,000 refugees from Yemen, which officials state will add acute pressure on the country's healthcare and education services.
• ▪The International Organization for Migration reported that refugees are fleeing Yemen on overcrowded boats and arriving in Djibouti with very limited food and water.
• ▪Nearly 3,000 people fled Yemen by sea to Djibouti within less than a week in September 2026 due to escalating violence.

Saudi airstrikes on Houthis

• ▪Responding to the Houthi offensive along the Red Sea coast, the Saudi and Yemeni air forces bombarded Houthi targets.
• ▪The renewed military escalation has raised international concerns that Yemen could slide back into a full-scale civil war, which had killed around 150,000 people before a 2022 ceasefire.