Djibouti: New arrivals from Yemen Flash Update No.1 ( 15 September 2026 )
Chronological coverage
First seen15 Sept, 07:20Djibouti: New arrivals from Yemen Flash Update No.1 ( 15 September 2026 )
Countries: Djibouti, Yemen Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached file. HIGHLIGHTS Djiboutian authorities, supported by UN agencies and humanitarian partners, are responding to a growing influx of arrivals from Yemen, with reception, registration, and assistance operations underway in Obock. New arrivals are being transferred to the Markazi site, where the National Office for Assistance to Refugees and Disaster-Stricken People (ONARS) is leading registration and referral efforts, while humanitarian partners provide life-saving assistance. The Djiboutian Coast Guard has conducted search and rescue operations for people in distress at sea, while the UN and its partners are providing food assistance, safe drinking water, and other essential support. Response capacity remains overstretched amid growing humanitarian needs, prompting the Government to activate an emergency response mechanism and scale up coordination efforts. Authorities and humanitarian partners are appealing for increased donor support to address the needs of new arrivals and host communities, while ensuring safe, sustained, and unimpeded humanitarian access. SITUATION OVERVIEW More than 2,500 people fleeing conflict in Yemen have arrived on Djibouti's northern coast as of 14 September, according to Djiboutian authorities and humanitarian partners. The latest arrivals include approximately 1,400 people who reached Djibouti within a 24-hour period, following an earlier group of around 500 people on 10 September, including women and children, who arrived in Obock after being rescued at sea when their vessels ran out of fuel while crossing the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Humanitarian partners report increased crossings of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait amid escalating hostilities along Yemen's western coast, reflecting a rapidly deteriorating displacement situation linked to the escalation of the conflict in areas bordering the strait. Further arrivals are expected if the situation persists. Djibouti already hosts a significant refugee and asylum-seeker population. According to UNHCR figures from March 2026, more than 36,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers were living in the country, primarily from Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen. Obock region, in the North, is part of the Horn of Africa’s Migration Corridor, with approximately 300,000 migrants crossing yearly. The latest arrivals are expected to place additional pressure on reception and assistance capacities in Obock and surrounding areas.
ReliefWeb•UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs- Follow-up15 Sept, 11:33
Yemen Displacement Tops 85,000 as Conflict Continues, 2,000 Flee to Djibouti
Countries: Yemen, Djibouti Source: International Organization for Migration Geneva, 13 September 2026 – According to the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), displacement in Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country, has now reached 85,818 people, up sharply in recent days (82,164 since beginning of September alone ) as fighting continues along the West Coast. Families are being forced from their homes, and some are now fleeing the country altogether. Over 2,000 people fleeing the hostilities have reached Djibouti's northern shores so far, landing at scattered points along the coast near Obock. Djiboutian authorities are leading the response, mobilizing the Navy, army, police and health services, with support from IOM and UN partners. Arrivals, many of them women and young children, have been transported to the Markazi site in Obock, where they are receiving water, high-energy biscuits and hot meals. More are expected to flee as fighting intensifies. "Behind every number is a family who's lost everything," said Amy Pope, IOM Director General. "Many have been displaced multiple times. People are crossing the sea with nothing because they have no other choice left. Yemen is a country torn by poverty and conflict, and it cannot carry this crisis alone. I call on donors to scale up support now, for those arriving in Djibouti and for the communities in Obock receiving them." Fighting is escalating rapidly along the West Coast and South Taiz frontlines. Taiz remains the hardest hit, with 9,280 households, or nearly 56,000 people, displaced from districts including Jabal Habashy, Al Ma'afer, Maqbanah, Mawza and Al Wazi'iyah. Lahj follows with 3,225 households, or over 19,000 people, most from Al-Mudharibah district, with numbers rising in recent days. Al Hodeidah has recorded 1,374 households, or over 8,000 people, displaced, largely from Hays. Aden has also been affected with 424 households or over 2,500 displaced people being hosted there. Inside Yemen, families continue to flee multiple times, some for the second or third time in 12 years of conflict, with almost nothing left. Roads are increasingly inaccessible due to ongoing fighting, and communications in affected areas remain disrupted, making it harder to reach people and assess needs. IOM continues to call for safe, unimpeded humanitarian access, and for all parties to protect civilians, humanitarian workers, and the supplies, vehicles and facilities needed to deliver aid. The situation remains volatile and unpredictable. IOM will continue to monitor developments closely and report further updates as they become available. Send emergency aid to families in need: Donate here For more information, please visit IOM’s Media Centre .
ReliefWeb•International Organization for Migration - Follow-up15 Sept, 13:03
Yemen: Escalating conflict drives new displacement and refugee arrivals in Djibouti
Countries: Yemen, Djibouti Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees GENEVA – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning that rapidly escalating hostilities along Yemen’s western coast have displaced more than 100,000 people inside the country and forced thousands more to seek safety across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in Djibouti. The fighting has uprooted families across Al Hodeidah, Ta’iz, Lahj, Aden, Abyan, Marib, Al Dhaleh and Shabwah, raising concerns about further displacement inside Yemen and additional refugee movements if hostilities intensify. Many families fled at short notice with few belongings. Shelter, food, clean water, health care and protection services are among the most urgent needs, as receiving communities and displacement sites become overstretched. Humanitarian access remains a major challenge. Insecurity, damaged roads, telecommunications disruptions and movement restrictions are affecting operations, particularly along the west coast and between Ta’iz, At Turbah and Aden. Damage to Al Makha port has further constrained humanitarian movement and logistics. UNHCR is leading the inter-agency response for protection, shelter, and site coordination, working closely with humanitarian partners that continue to deliver assistance despite the challenging security environment. It has also activated its emergency response capacity inside Yemen, focusing on life-saving protection, shelter, relief items and financial assistance. Immediate activities include multipurpose financial assistance for 1,000 households, emergency shelter cash for 500 households, and shelter repair kits for 1,000 households. Subject to funding and access, UNHCR is preparing to scale up with 3,000 additional core relief item kits and expanded financial support. UNHCR is also deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of more than 65,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers inside Yemen, most from Somalia and Ethiopia, who face renewed risks. At the same time, the escalation is driving cross-border movements. Over the past four days, more than 2,400 people have made the sea crossing from Yemen to Djibouti, arriving mainly through Obock, Khor Angar, Moulhoule and Godoria. More than 60 per cent are women, children and older people, and reports indicate that more people may be preparing to leave Yemen. UNHCR is also monitoring the possibility of onward or parallel movements toward Somalia, where contingency planning is under way should additional arrivals materialize. “People are arriving after a difficult sea journey, many exhausted, distressed and carrying what little they could take with them,” said Sandrine Desamours, UNHCR Representative in Djibouti. “The response is already under pressure. We urgently need more support before more families arrive and needs outpace our capacity to assist them.” This is primarily a movement of refugees fleeing conflict and insecurity. The people arriving from Yemen are seeking international protection and should be received and assisted. UNHCR thanks Djibouti, a long-standing refugee host, for keeping its borders open and welcoming those who fled. UNHCR is supporting the Government of Djibouti and the national refugee authority with reception, registration and protection activities. UNHCR teams are in Obock, while new arrivals are being transferred from coastal arrival points to Markazi refugee village for registration and further assistance. With authorities and partners, UNHCR is providing transport, temporary shelter, relief items, food, water, health care and protection services. “Djiboutian families and the Yemeni refugee community are opening their doors and sharing what little they have, but the humanitarian response, already facing a dire funding crisis, is being stretched fast,” said Desamours. “Markazi only has room for around 5,000 more refugees, while we are preparing for more than 10,000 arrivals. An overwhelming number are children and adolescents, and UNHCR has been working with the Government to integrate them into existing, crowded schools. We need support before space, water, shelter and essential services run out.” The escalation is also raising broader concerns over the impact on global humanitarian logistics, already strained by the ongoing disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a critical maritime corridor linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Continued insecurity could affect humanitarian and commercial shipping serving Yemen, Sudan and other ongoing emergencies in the region and beyond, potentially increasing transport costs and delaying the delivery of critical relief supplies. UNHCR has mitigation measures in place, with emergency supplies already en route to Sudan and the possibility of land shipments from its global stockpiles in Dubai and Nairobi. However, any further deterioration could force rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, adding 25 to 30 days to shipping times. UNHCR requires an estimated $14 million to meet immediate needs for displaced families inside Yemen. Additional international support will also be needed in Djibouti to ensure that refugees arriving from Yemen can continue to access reception, protection and essential services.
ReliefWeb•UN High Commissioner for Refugees - Follow-up15 Sept, 14:03
Yemen: la escalada del conflicto provoca nuevos desplazamientos y la llegada de refugiados a Yibuti
Countries: Yemen, Djibouti Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees GINEBRA - ACNUR, la Agencia de la ONU para los Refugiados, advierte de que la rápida escalada de los enfrentamientos en la costa occidental de Yemen ha desplazado a más de 100.000 personas dentro del país y ha obligado a miles más a cruzar el estrecho de Bab el-Mandeb en busca de seguridad en Yibuti. Los combates han expulsado de sus hogares a familias en las gobernaciones de Al Hodeidah, Taiz, Lahj, Adén, Abyan, Marib, Al Dhaleh y Shabwah, lo que genera preocupación sobre nuevos desplazamientos dentro de Yemen y flujos adicionales de refugiados si continúa la escalada de la violencia. Muchas familias han huido con apenas unas horas de margen y con escasas pertenencias. Entre las necesidades más urgentes figuran alojamiento, alimentos, agua potable, atención sanitaria y servicios de protección, en un momento en que las comunidades de acogida y los asentamientos para desplazados se encuentran desbordados. El acceso humanitario sigue siendo uno de los principales desafíos. La inseguridad, los daños en las carreteras, los cortes en las telecomunicaciones y las restricciones de movimiento están lastrando las operaciones, especialmente en la costa occidental y en las rutas entre Taiz, At Turbah y Adén. Además, los daños sufridos por el puerto de Al Makha han complicado aún más la logística y el traslado de asistencia. ACNUR lidera la respuesta interagencial en materia de protección, alojamiento y coordinación de emplazamientos, en estrecha colaboración con sus socios humanitarios, que continúan prestando asistencia a pesar del adverso contexto de seguridad. La organización también ha activado su capacidad de respuesta de emergencia en el interior de Yemen, priorizando medidas de carácter urgente en materia de protección, alojamiento, artículos de primera necesidad y ayudas económicas. Entre las acciones inmediatas destaca la asistencia monetaria multipropósito para 1.000 hogares, ayudas económicas para alojamiento de emergencia destinadas a 500 familias y kits de reparación de viviendas para otras 1.000. Si la financiación y las condiciones de acceso lo permiten, ACNUR prevé ampliar la respuesta con el envío de 3.000 paquetes adicionales de artículos de primera necesidad y un mayor apoyo económico. Asimismo, ACNUR muestra su profunda preocupación por la seguridad y el bienestar de los más de 65.000 refugiados y solicitantes de asilo registrados en Yemen, en su mayoría procedentes de Somalia y Etiopía, que vuelven a quedar expuestos a graves peligros debido al conflicto. Al mismo tiempo, la escalada está impulsando movimientos transfronterizos. En los últimos cuatro días, más de 2.400 personas han cruzado por mar desde Yemen hasta Yibuti, llegando principalmente a través de Obock, Khor Angar, Moulhoule y Godoria. Más del 60 % son mujeres, niños y personas mayores, y existen indicios de que otras muchas personas podrían estar preparando su salida del país. ACNUR también sigue de cerca la posibilidad de movimientos paralelos o secundarios hacia Somalia, donde ya se están elaborando planes de contingencia ante una posible llegada de más personas. “Las personas llegan tras una travesía marítima muy difícil, muchas exhaustas, angustiadas y cargando con las pocas pertenencias que han podido llevarse”, declaró Sandrine Desamours, Representante de ACNUR en Yibuti. “La respuesta humanitaria ya está bajo presión. Necesitamos apoyo urgente antes de que lleguen más familias y las necesidades superen nuestra capacidad de asistencia”. Se trata principalmente de un movimiento de refugiados que huyen del conflicto y la inseguridad. Las personas que llegan desde Yemen buscan protección internacional y deben ser acogidas y asistidas. ACNUR agradece a Yibuti, un país con una larga trayectoria de acogida a refugiados, que mantenga sus fronteras abiertas y continúe recibiendo a quienes se ven obligados a huir. ACNUR apoya al Gobierno de Yibuti y a la autoridad nacional para los refugiados en las tareas de recepción, registro y protección. Los equipos de la Agencia de la ONU para los Refugiados ya están desplegados en Obock, mientras que las personas recién llegadas están siendo trasladadas desde los puntos de llegada en la costa hasta el asentamiento de refugiados de Markazi para su correspondiente registro y posterior asistencia. En coordinación con las autoridades y organizaciones socias, ACNUR proporciona transporte, alojamiento temporal, artículos de primera necesidad, alimentos, agua, atención sanitaria y servicios de protección. “Las familias de Yibuti y la comunidad de refugiados yemeníes están abriendo sus puertas y compartiendo lo poco que tienen, pero la respuesta humanitaria -que ya se enfrentaba a una grave crisis de financiación- está llegando rápidamente a su límite”, señaló Desamours. “Markazi solo dispone de capacidad para unas 5.000 personas refugiadas más, mientras nos preparamos para la llegada de más de 10.000 personas. Un gran número son niños y adolescentes, y ACNUR trabaja con el Gobierno para integrarlos en unas escuelas que ya están saturadas. Necesitamos ayuda antes de que se agoten el espacio, el agua, los alojamientos y los servicios esenciales”. La escalada del conflicto también genera preocupación por su impacto en la logística humanitaria mundial, que ya se encuentra afectada por las continuas interrupciones en torno al estrecho de Ormuz. El estrecho de Bab el-Mandeb es un corredor marítimo crítico que conecta el mar Rojo con el golfo de Adén. La persistencia de la inseguridad podría afectar al transporte marítimo comercial y humanitario con destino a Yemen, Sudán y otras emergencias activas en la región y fuera de ella, lo que podría incrementar los costes de transporte y retrasar la entrega de suministros de ayuda esenciales. ACNUR ya ha puesto en marcha medidas de mitigación, con suministros de emergencia en camino hacia Sudán y la posibilidad de recurrir a envíos terrestres desde sus almacenes globales en Dubái y Nairobi. No obstante, un deterioro adicional de la situación podría obligar a desviar las rutas a través del cabo de Buena Esperanza, lo que añadiría entre 25 y 30 días a los plazos de entrega. ACNUR necesita aproximadamente 14 millones de dólares para cubrir las necesidades inmediatas de las familias desplazadas dentro de Yemen. Asimismo, se requerirá apoyo internacional adicional a Yibuti para garantizar que las personas refugiadas procedentes de Yemen sigan teniendo acceso a servicios de acogida, protección y asistencia básica.
ReliefWeb•UN High Commissioner for Refugees 
Follow-up15 Sept, 14:18Yemen: Escalating fighting and mass displacement put civilians at grave risk
Country: Yemen Source: Oxfam Please refer to the attached file. We, the undersigned aid organisations operating in Yemen, are deeply concerned by the sharp escalation in fighting across Taiz and the West Coast since 3 September and its mounting humanitarian impact, including civilian casualties and mass displacement. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix, displacement in Yemen has reached 85,818 people, including 82,164 displaced since the beginning of September alone. More than 2,000 people fleeing the hostilities have also reached Djibouti. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen remains one of the largest in the world. Renewed fighting risks worsening conditions for civilians and further constraining the ability of aid organisations to deliver critical services. More than a decade of conflict has left 22 million people, over half the population, in need of humanitarian assistance.¹ Millions already face hunger, displacement and limited access to basic services. Clashes have intensified across several of Yemen’s frontlines, many of which had remained relatively stable since the 2022 UN-brokered truce. Fighting has escalated rapidly along the West Coast and South Taiz frontlines. OCHA has reported civilian casualties, including children.² IOM reports that Taiz is the hardest hit by new displacement, with nearly 56,000 people displaced, followed by more than 19,000 in Lahj, more than 8,000 in Al Hodeidah and more than 2,500 in Aden.⁴ The escalation follows weeks of renewed hostilities in Marib, Taiz and Al Hodeidah, which displaced more than 162 households during August, according to OCHA.³ Families are fleeing in extremely difficult conditions, with some who have already been displaced by conflict now facing the prospect of being forced to flee again. Fighting near displacement sites and along routes used by civilians is creating serious protection risks for people on the move. Women and girls, particularly pregnant and breastfeeding women; children, including unaccompanied and separated children; older people; people with disabilities; and people living with chronic illnesses may face heightened risks, including difficulties accessing safe shelter, healthcare, sanitation and other essential services. Humanitarian organisations are providing lifesaving support, but insecurity and access constraints are making it harder for civilians to flee safely and for aid workers to reach everyone in need. Delivering essential goods to sustain humanitarian operations is already challenging amid regional instability and related supply-chain disruptions, and the recent escalation may further complicate these efforts. Additional flexible funding is urgently needed to address emerging humanitarian needs, particularly emergency shelter, food assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene, healthcare, nutrition, mental health and psychosocial support, education and protection, while safeguarding the continuity of existing services. Every Yemeni life is precious and must be protected. All parties to the conflict must respect and uphold international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access. After years of suffering, Yemen’s people cannot endure further civilian harm and displacement. We urge all parties and the international community to use available diplomatic channels to support an inclusive, Yemeni-led political process aimed at ending the conflict and achieving lasting peace in Yemen. • Première Urgence Internationale (PUI) • Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH) • International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) • Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) • Save the Children • CARE International • INTERSOS • War Child Alliance • International Medical Corps • Concern Worldwide • Vision Hope International • Action For Humanity International • MedGlobal • Médecins du Monde – Yemen • International Rescue Committee (IRC) • Danish Refugee Council (DRC) • Secours Islamique France (SIF) • Oxfam • Helpcode Italia ETS
ReliefWeb•Oxfam
Follow-up16 Sept, 00:44UNICEF Djibouti Humanitarian Flash Update No. 1 (Refugee influx from Yemen), 15 September 2026
Countries: Djibouti, Yemen Source: UN Children's Fund Please refer to the attached file. Highlights As of 12 September 2026, more than 2,350 people, at least half of them children, have arrived in Djibouti after fleeing escalating hostilities in Yemen. They have landed at various points along Djibouti’s northern coast near Obock. It is anticipated that these numbers will increase as fighting intensifies with an estimated number of 5,000 to 10,000 people arriving in country. Water, sanitation, shelter and health services at Markazi refugee village are already under acute strain. With overcrowding and weak water and sanitation systems, the risk of an acute watery disease resurgence is high, weeks after the last outbreak was brought under control. UNICEF is supporting the national response led by the Government of Djibouti and has deployed a multisectoral team to Obock and mobilized 7,500 litres of drinking water at entry points. Emergency latrines and water bladders are being installed at Markazi in collaboration with the Djiboutian Red Crescent (CRD). No unaccompanied or separated children have been reported to date. Identification and registration services remain ongoing as arrivals continue to increase. UNICEF requires USD 3 million to respond to the needs of up to 10,000 people over 6 months.
ReliefWeb•UN Children's Fund
Latest7h agoDjibouti: New arrivals from Yemen Flash Update No.2 ( 17 September 2026 )
Countries: Djibouti, Yemen Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached files. Highlights More than 2,800 people fleeing conflict in Yemen have arrived in Djibouti, nearly half of whom are children. Newly arrivals continue to be transferred to the Markazi site, where the National Office for Assistance to Refugees and Disaster-Affected People is leading registration. Public health risks are a significant concern due to overcrowding, inadequate living conditions, and the potential presence of communicable diseases. Djiboutian authorities, with support from humanitarian partners, are responding to the influx. However, response capacities remain constrained, particularly in the areas of registration, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, nutrition, and food assistance. Authorities and humanitarian partners are appealing for increased donor support to address the needs of new arrivals and host communities.
ReliefWeb•UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs