Over 2,000 Yemenis Flee to Djibouti Amid Houthi Offensive

More than 2,000 people have fled Yemen for Djibouti as escalating battles between Houthi forces and government troops push thousands from their homes. The rapid movement across the sea follows a renewed military campaign along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

Data released on Sunday by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) shows that fighting in Yemen has displaced 85,818 people to date, with 82,000 of those displacements occurring since the beginning of September.

Rescues in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait

Djibouti’s Economy and Finance Minister, Ilyas M. Dawaleh, stated on Saturday that 1,400 Yemenis had arrived in the country within a 24-hour period. By Sunday, figures from the IOM confirmed that the total number crossing into Djibouti had surpassed 2,000.

In a separate update on Friday, Dawaleh reported that 500 refugees, including women and children, arrived in the coastal city of Obock after being rescued at sea. Their boats had run out of fuel while attempting to navigate the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

Obock, situated roughly 20 kilometers (12 miles) across the water from the Yemeni coast, is a frequent entry point for people escaping conflict in Yemen. The maritime corridor is also used in the opposite direction by migrants from the Horn of Africa traveling through Yemen toward Gulf nations.

Houthi Advances Drive Coastal Flight

Safiya Ibrahim, humanitarian response coordinator for the IOM, stated that vulnerable populations had arrived in Obock, with “more expected in the coming days.”

The sudden influx into Djibouti follows the Houthi capture of the Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday. Houthi fighters subsequently took control of the surrounding coastline and islands near the Bab al-Mandeb strait. The rapid advance forced thousands of families to abandon their homes, leaving entire villages unpopulated in districts such as Maqbanah, Jabal Habashi, and al-Maafer.

Background

Djibouti already hosts tens of thousands of displaced people. Data from the United Nations Refugee Agency recorded more than 36,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers in Djibouti as of March 2026, with the majority coming from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Yemen.