UN warns more than 10,000 Yemenis could flee to Djibouti in coming months

By Rédaction Africanews and AFP

Renewed fighting in Yemen could see the number of refugees fleeing across the Red Sea to Djibouti jump to 10,000, while displacement inside Yemen could swell to over 230,000, the UN warned Tuesday.

Yemeni refugees in Djibouti queue for supplies as the tiny African nation rushes to provide aid to thousands of new arrivals.

The UN refugee agency says its Djibouti operations are only 15 percent funded – and it’s bracing for more people to arrive.

Three thousand Yemenis have already risked the dangerous journey across the Red Sea since the start of September, fleeing renewed fighting at home.

The UNHCR says that number could jump to 10,000 by next month, once difficult sea conditions improve. The agency is appealing for more than $13 million to ensure essential services.

In Yemen, more than 130,000 people have been displaced by the advance of Houthi rebels along the coast.

The UN is warning that number could surge to more than 230,000 – on top of the 5.2 million people in the country already displaced by years of war.

But a funding shortfall is hampering operations. The UNHCR says it urgently needs $25 million to provide aid to the tens of thousands displaced.