Djibouti has appealed for urgent international assistance as the number of Yemenis fleeing into the country continues to rise. More than 2,500 Yemenis have arrived in Djibouti since Thursday, according to Interior Minister Omar Abdi Said. Said warned on Wednesday that the number of displaced people could reach about 10,000 in the coming weeks.
He said the influx had already exceeded Djibouti’s national capacity, while declining international funding was adding pressure. The minister called on the United Nations and international partners to mobilise financial resources to address the growing humanitarian needs.
Heavy fighting is under way in western Yemen between the Iran-backed Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. Djibouti lies across the Red Sea from Yemen and has become a destination for people fleeing the conflict.
The International Organization for Migration said its teams and local authorities were providing newly arrived Yemenis with food and water. IOM response coordinator for Djibouti, Safiya Ibrahim, said women, children, babies and sick people were among those arriving daily.
She said the agency needed additional financial support to maintain its response. The latest arrivals come amid renewed concerns about Yemen’s humanitarian situation and further displacement caused by the escalation in fighting.
More than 4.5 million people have been displaced in Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in the country’s civil war in 2015. Djibouti has a population of less than 1.2 million, making the continuing influx a significant challenge for its limited resources.
