OBOCK, Djibouti(The COW News Digital) Nearly 1,400 people have fled Yemen for Djibouti within a 24-hour period as fighting intensifies around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis caused by the latest escalation in the conflict.
Djibouti’s Economy and Finance Minister Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh said around 1,400 refugees had arrived from Yemen within a single day. The latest arrivals came after another group of approximately 500 people was rescued at sea after their boats ran out of fuel before reaching the Djiboutian coast.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said women and children were among those arriving in Obock, a coastal city that has for years served as an important entry point for people escaping violence in Yemen.
The IOM has warned that additional displaced people could reach Djibouti in the coming days as fighting continues and security conditions deteriorate in parts of Yemen.
Obock lies roughly 20 kilometres across the sea from Yemen and has become a key destination for people attempting to escape the prolonged conflict. The latest influx is placing further pressure on humanitarian operations supporting vulnerable arrivals.
According to IOM estimates, around 76,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen since fighting intensified in July. The pace of displacement has increased further following the latest escalation in violence.
The recent developments reportedly followed an advance by Houthi fighters, who seized the Red Sea port city of Mokha on Thursday before moving towards coastal areas and islands around the Bab al-Mandab region.
The military developments have forced families in affected areas to abandon their homes in search of safety, while the continuing instability is raising concerns about further population displacement.
Bab al-Mandab is one of the world’s strategically important maritime passages, connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Any prolonged instability around the waterway could have consequences beyond Yemen, particularly for regional security, humanitarian movements and international maritime trade.
Humanitarian agencies are monitoring the situation closely as more civilians seek refuge outside Yemen. The sudden arrival of large numbers of people has increased the need for emergency shelter, food, medical assistance and other essential services in Djibouti.
