IOM: Nearly 130,000 displaced in Yemen as insecurity escalates

INearly 130,000 people have been displaced across seven governorates in Yemen in recent weeks as families flee escalating insecurity, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The latest figures from the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) show that 129,438 people, or 21,573 households, have been displaced, with many families having moved more than once in search of safety.

“Nearly 130,000 people have been forced from their homes in just a few weeks. Many have already moved more than once to find safety,” said Othman Belbeisi, IOM Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “The numbers keep climbing. On 18 September we recorded 118,086 displaced people. Three days later, the figure has risen by 11,352”.

Ta’iz Governorate is hosting the largest number of displaced people, with 73,494, followed by Lahj with 33,828, Aden with 8,946 and Al Hodeidah with 8,244. Abyan has received 3,324 displaced people, while Hadramawt and Ma'rib have recorded 1,008 and 594, respectively.

Within the governorates, Jabal Habashi in Ta'iz is hosting more than 23,000 displaced people. Al Madaribah Wa Al Aarah in Lahj is hosting nearly 21,500, while more than 16,500 people have sought safety in Al Ma'afer in Ta'iz. More than 12,300 displaced people have arrived in Ash Shamayatayn.

“These are families who have lost their homes and their income,” said Belbeisi. “They are arriving in towns that were already struggling. Host communities are sharing the little they have, but they cannot do it alone. We need support now, for the people who have fled and for those who are taking them in."

Meanwhile, as of the evening of September 20, 3,106 people had crossed the Red Sea from Yemen to Djibouti, according to the IOM.

The organisation said it was providing urgent assistance to many of those who had crossed and called for greater support.

By Sabina Mammadli