Djibouti: 1,400 Yemenis Flee Conflict, Seek Refuge

About 1,400 people have fled Yemen for Djibouti due to fighting between government forces and Iran-allied Houthis, Djibouti's minister of economy and finance said Saturday. Houthi fighters control a large part of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and Hodeida in the west. They have advanced along the coast in just days and on Thursday seized the port city of Mokha. The Houthis have since taken control of the coastline and islands in the Red Sea, and on Friday tightened their grip on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is vital to global shipping through the Suez Canal. "1400 #refugees arrived in #Djibouti from #Yemen in just 24 hours," Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh wrote on X. Located opposite Yemen on the Horn of Africa, tiny Djibouti borders the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the entrance to the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden. Safiya Ibrahim, humanitarian response coordinator for the International Organization for Migration, told AFP that "vulnerable groups such as women and children have reached the shores of Obock, with more expected in the coming days". According to the United Nations, at least 76,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since July, with the number quadrupling in the last week after the latest fighting. Last week, Houthi fighters launched a new offensive against Saudi-backed government forces, targeting zones bordering the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The waterway has taken on new importance, particularly for Saudi oil exports, since the Strait of Hormuz was blocked by Iran. Hundreds have been killed in the fighting on both sides. Read the original article on Vanguard . Djibouti Faces Fresh Pressure As 1,400 Yemenis Arrive Amid Escalating Conflict Ethiopians Make Up Overwhelming Majority of Migrants Arriving in Yemen Amid Worsening Regional Conditions AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.