UNHCR warns Yemen fighting could drive more people to Djibouti

The United Nations refugee agency has warned that renewed fighting in Yemen could trigger a fresh wave of displacement inside the country and send more than 10,000 people across the Red Sea to Djibouti.

Babar Baloch, a spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that displacement caused by the latest violence could rise from more than 130,000 people to over 230,000.

“Intensifying fighting in Yemen could drive more mass displacement,” Baloch said.

New displacement feared

The warning follows renewed clashes between Houthi forces and forces loyal to Yemen’s Aden-based government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. The fighting has created a new humanitarian crisis, with more than 100,000 civilians already uprooted inside Yemen, according to the source report.

The report also said Iran-aligned Houthi rebels seized control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline earlier this month. More than 3,000 people crossed the Red Sea to Djibouti over several days earlier this month, according to Djibouti state media.

UNHCR and its partners are preparing for more than 10,000 arrivals in Djibouti in the coming months. The agency stressed that this figure is a projection rather than a confirmed total.

“We are planning for more than 10,000 arrivals in Djibouti,” Baloch said, referring to preparations for people fleeing Yemen.

Humanitarian operations underfunded

The potential new displacement comes as Yemen is already facing a large humanitarian burden. More than 5.2 million people were internally displaced in the country before the latest fighting resumed, while an estimated 22 million people require humanitarian assistance, Baloch said.

UNHCR said its Yemen operation was only 18 percent funded for 2026. The agency said it urgently needed $25 million to provide immediate assistance to approximately 231,000 people.

Its operations in Djibouti were 15 percent funded. UNHCR has appealed for $13.5 million to support registration, reception, protection and other essential services for people arriving from Yemen.

Baloch warned that the severe funding shortfall was hampering the humanitarian response in both countries.

The forecast arrivals and displacement figures reflect planning estimates and could change as the situation develops. The source also said difficult sea conditions were expected to improve after mid-October, but did not provide a specific date.