Yemen offensive displaces over 112,000 as 3,000 flee by sea to Djibouti

Internal displacement across western Yemen

A military offensive along Yemen's western coastline has displaced between 112,000 and 115,000 people over the past two weeks, according to United Nations migration and refugee agencies. The fighting intensified following an offensive launched by Houthi forces on 3 September 2026, which resulted in the capture of the port city of Mocha, extensive stretches of the Red Sea coast, and the Hanish Islands. International Organization for Migration mission head Abdusattor Esoev reported from Aden that the majority of displaced families fled from western coastal districts and the provinces of Taiz and Lahj. Many civilians escaped on foot without provisions into steep foothill areas, seeking refuge in overcrowded makeshift sites such as the al-Bireen camp in Taiz. Rawya Hassan, a 48-year-old mother of seven who abandoned her home and livestock during the shelling, described the conditions in the camp.

We are under terror, under the rockets, under the missiles.

Sea crossings and reception strain in Djibouti

Escaping the coastal offensive, nearly 3,000 people crossed the Bab el-Mandeb strait in small boats to reach Djibouti in less than a week. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative Sandrine Desamours stated during a briefing in Geneva that new arrivals came ashore at the landing points of Obock, Khor Angar, Moulhoule, and Godoria. More than half of the refugees arriving on the Djiboutian coast are women and children, with many families enduring exile for a second time after previously fleeing the country during 2015. The influx is placing heavy demands on Djibouti, a nation of approximately one million residents that already hosts 36,000 refugees, primarily from Somalia and Ethiopia. The Djiboutian government is preparing contingency facilities for up to 10,000 refugees, while authorities in neighboring Somaliland and Puntland also reported hundreds of sea arrivals across the Gulf of Aden.

Aerial strikes and ground combat in Taiz

In response to the Houthi advance, Saudi and Yemeni government air forces launched extensive bombing campaigns across rebel-controlled territory. Houthi spokespeople reported that Saudi aircraft conducted 26 airstrikes in a 24-hour span and roughly 300 strikes over the preceding seven days, hitting targets in Taiz and the town of Abs. Yemeni government forces confirmed that clashes in the al-Wazi'iyah district of Taiz province resulted in 30 Houthi fighters killed and more than 60 wounded on Friday. Cross-border drone and missile exchanges also caused casualties, including one death in Saudi Arabia's Taif governorate from intercepted drone debris and five deaths earlier in the week in Yemen, among them three children. Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in the capital city of Sanaa on Friday to denounce the air raids and voice support for the territorial push.

Diplomatic talks and humanitarian supply deliveries

The rapid shift in territorial control near the Bab el-Mandeb strait prompted United States officials to meet Houthi representatives at the American embassy in Muscat, Oman. During the discussions, Houthi delegates provided assurances to Washington that commercial vessels without ties to Saudi Arabia would not face targeting in the corridor. In Brussels, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas confirmed that Operation Aspides, the bloc's naval mission in the Red Sea, raised its operational alert level.

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are unacceptable and sabotage the global economy.

Humanitarian agencies cautioned that fuel shortages and active frontlines continue to trap thousands of civilians who are attempting to flee to coastal embarkation points. To support medical infrastructure strained by the influx of wounded patients, the International Committee of the Red Cross delivered 22 tonnes of health supplies to hospitals in Sanaa.