Yemen Displacement Crisis Deepens as Over 200,000 Flee Escalating Violence, UN Warns

More than 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes following a sharp escalation of fighting in Yemen over recent weeks, according to data released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

In a statement on Wednesday, the IOM described the situation as an alarming crisis, noting that displacement numbers have surged from 76,000 in mid-September to more than 200,000.

“People are running for their lives and finding nowhere safe to go,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope, while appealing for increased funding to address soaring humanitarian needs for food and shelter.

Yemen is currently facing its most serious military escalation since a UN-brokered truce largely paused major cross-border attacks in 2022. The Iran-backed Houthis, who maintain control over most of northern Yemen and the capital Sanaa, seized the country's entire Red Sea coast last month from Saudi-backed forces representing the internationally recognized government based in Aden.

On Sunday, Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced a new military offensive aimed at reclaiming all remaining Houthi-held territory, including Sanaa, which the group has controlled since 2014.

Displacements have been documented across multiple regions, with the southwestern governorate of Taiz bearing the heaviest burden. Additionally, more than 3,700 individuals have fled by sea to Djibouti, the IOM reported.

On Friday, the UN World Food Programme issued a warning that three out of four families in certain parts of Yemen are now experiencing hunger due to the devastating consequences of the renewed conflict.