More than 100,000 displaced as they flee violence in Yemen: UN
Thousands making risky maritime journey to Djibouti as conflict between Yemen gov't and Houthis intensifies.
More than 100,000 people have been forced to flee the conflict in Yemen between the Houthi rebels and forces loyal to the internationally recognised government, according to the United Nations.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the rapidly escalating hostilities along Yemen’s western coast have displaced more than 100,000 people inside the country, and forced thousands more to risk the dangerous journey across the Bab al-Mandeb strait to reach Djibouti in search of safety.
The UNHCR statement warned that the violence threatens to trigger a humanitarian crisis, as more people are displaced, pressuring communities with limited resources.
The strategic waterway is a critical maritime corridor linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and has become an alternative shipping route as the United States’ war against Iran choked the Strait of Hormuz.