At least 112,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen in just two weeks as renewed fighting intensifies along the country’s western coast, according to the United Nations migration agency.
Nearly 3,000 more people have fled across the Gulf of Aden to Djibouti in less than a week, adding a new humanitarian dimension to the rapidly expanding regional conflict.
The escalation comes as Iran-aligned Houthi forces advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.
The Houthis have also intensified attacks targeting Saudi cities and energy infrastructure, while Saudi and Yemeni forces have responded with airstrikes against Houthi positions.
The International Organization for Migration says families fleeing Yemen are making dangerous journeys aboard overcrowded boats, often arriving with very limited supplies of food and water.
Djibouti is now preparing for the possible arrival of as many as 10,000 refugees, which could place additional pressure on the country’s healthcare and education systems.
The renewed fighting is particularly significant for global trade.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and forms a critical route for vessels traveling between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.
The escalation comes while another crucial Middle Eastern shipping route — the Strait of Hormuz — is already experiencing sharply reduced vessel traffic because of the continuing U.S.–Iran conflict.
Iran’s relationship with the Houthis also gives the Yemen conflict wider geopolitical significance. As Houthi forces expand their position along the Red Sea coast, concerns are growing about Tehran’s influence near another major global shipping chokepoint.
For civilians, however, the immediate consequences are severe.
Yemen has already endured years of civil war that devastated its economy, healthcare system and public infrastructure. U.N. agencies describe the latest displacement as another crisis layered on top of the country’s existing humanitarian emergency.
With fighting continuing and no immediate end to the escalation in sight, the number of people forced from their homes could continue to rise.