Nearly 130,000 people have been displaced across seven governorates in Yemen amid worsening insecurity…reports Africa Daily News Desk
Nearly 130,000 people have been displaced across seven governorates in Yemen amid escalating insecurity, with many having been forced to flee their homes multiple times, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said.
Othman Belbeisi, IOM Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said the number of displaced people had increased sharply in recent days.
“The numbers keep climbing. On September 18 we recorded 118,086 displaced people. Three days later, the figure has risen by 11,352,” Belbeisi said.
According to the latest IOM figures, Taiz Governorate is hosting the largest displaced population, with 73,494 people seeking shelter there.
Yemen has faced a prolonged conflict since 2014, when the Houthi movement seized control of large parts of the country, including the capital Sanaa. The conflict prompted a Saudi led military intervention in 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Years of fighting, economic difficulties and recurring natural disasters have left millions of people dependent on humanitarian assistance.
The IOM also said that 3,106 people had crossed the Red Sea from Yemen to Djibouti as of Sunday evening, highlighting the continuing movement of people from the conflict affected country.
The latest displacement figures come amid renewed fighting between Houthi forces and government troops on several fronts.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Sunday that 28 airstrikes had hit three Yemeni provinces during the previous 24 hours. He said the strikes were carried out by F 15 and Typhoon fighter jets operating from Saudi air bases in Khamis Mushait and Taif.
According to Sarea, the reported strikes targeted areas in Taiz in southwestern Yemen, the oil rich Marib province in the northeast and Al Jawf in the north. He said the cumulative number of airstrikes since the latest escalation began had reached 760.
Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment on the figures.
Houthi run Al Masirah television reported that an airstrike hit a telecommunications tower in Al Jawf, while areas of northern Saada province near the Saudi border came under artillery fire.
The aerial operations have coincided with continued ground fighting in southwestern Yemen, particularly around Taiz, where control of frontline positions has shifted during recent clashes.
A Yemeni government military source told Xinhua on Sunday that government forces had recaptured several positions in western Taiz. However, the source said the broader front lines remained largely unchanged amid continued heavy fighting.
The renewed violence has added to Yemen’s already severe humanitarian needs, with displacement increasing as insecurity spreads across several governorates.
Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that prolonged conflict, economic hardship and limited access to essential services have left large sections of Yemen’s population vulnerable.
The latest IOM figures underline the scale of the new displacement, while the continuing fighting raises concerns that more civilians could be forced from their homes if the conflict intensifies further.
