At least 46,000 people have been displaced since renewed fighting last week between Houthi rebels and pro-government forces in southwestern Yemen, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Friday.
Key points:
At least 46,000 people displaced since renewed fighting began last week in southwest Yemen — the figure is “rising by the hour”, IOM says
Houthi fighters have seized the strategic Red Sea port of Mokha, triggering mass departures
At least 14 civilians, including two children, killed or wounded this month, per OCHA; WHO recorded 67 deaths and 288 injuries between 6–24 August
Only 60 per cent of Yemen’s health facilities are fully operational, WHO says, as hospitals face a surge in trauma cases
IOM is calling for safe humanitarian access and protection of aid workers and infrastructure
The number approaching 50,000, which as of Thursday covered the governorates of West Coast and Taiz, “is alarmingly rising by the hour”, the UN agency warned. The number, which as of Thursday covered the governorates of West Coast and Taiz, “is alarmingly rising by the hour”, the UN agency warned.
Overnight, large numbers of people were reportedly seen leaving Mokha with their possessions, after Houthi fighters took control of the strategically important Red Sea port city earlier this week.
The Houthis and Yemeni Government forces, backed by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition, have been locked in a power struggle since 2014.
After years of relative calm, Yemen plunged back into war in July, drawn into the regional conflict triggered in late February by the US-Israeli offensive against Iran.
The clashes that erupted last week have left hundreds dead on both sides, mainly combatants, according to media reports.
As conflict between the Houthis and Saudi forces increases, pro-government forces reportedly withdrew Friday from an island base in the narrow Bab al-Mandab Strait, with militants vowing to continue to target Saudi shipping there.
Surge in displacement following fighting in southwest Yemen | UN News
Fonte: UN News
