Yemen fighting displaces at least 46,000 people in a week, IOM says

At least 46,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since fighting intensified last week, the International Organization for Migration said, warning that the number is “alarmingly rising by the hour” as renewed violence worsens the humanitarian crisis.

The IOM said recent displacement was triggered by intensified fighting in parts of the country that forced families to flee their homes in search of safety. Many are arriving with little or no access to shelter, food and other basic necessities, the agency warned.

The renewal of violence has made a bad situation much worse in a country that has endured more than a decade of conflict. Iran-backed Houthi rebels are fighting Saudi Arabia-backed forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

The fighting has also prompted worries about wider regional stability and shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an important waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The United Nations has repeatedly said Yemen is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions of people dependent on aid.

The latest displacement comes after years of relative calm following a UN-brokered truce in 2022.