Renewed fighting in Yemen has forced more than 112,000 people from their homes, while nearly 3,000 others have fled across the Red Sea to Djibouti, the United Nations said on Friday, according to Middle East Eye.
The latest displacement follows fighting between the Houthis and forces aligned with Yemen’s Aden-based government. The violence has created a new humanitarian crisis as large numbers of civilians seek safety elsewhere in the country or attempt to leave Yemen by sea.
The UN figures indicate that most of those affected remain internally displaced, with more than 112,000 people uprooted within Yemen. Nearly 3,000 others have made the journey to Djibouti, taking dangerous maritime routes across the Red Sea to escape the conflict.
The movement of civilians comes after the Houthis took control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline last week. The development strengthened the group’s position around the Bab al-Mandab strait, a strategically important maritime passage connecting Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal.
Control of the coastline places the latest military developments near one of the principal shipping gateways on the route between the two continents. The Bab al-Mandab strait sits at the centre of the Red Sea corridor, giving developments along Yemen’s coast significance beyond the immediate battlefield.
For civilians, however, the renewed clashes have brought further upheaval. Families displaced within Yemen face the immediate consequences of losing access to their homes, while those attempting to reach Djibouti are exposed to the risks associated with crossing the Red Sea.
The figures reported by the United Nations show the scale of the latest civilian movement triggered by the fighting. With the Houthis consolidating control along the Red Sea coast and clashes continuing with forces loyal to the Aden-based government, the conflict is simultaneously driving internal displacement and departures from Yemen.
Reporting attribution: based on reporting by Middle East Eye — original source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/fighting-uproots-112000-yemen-thousands-flee-djibouti-un-says.