The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, that the number of people displaced within Yemen is expected to rise from 130,000 to around 230,000 in the coming months as a result of renewed fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis.
Estimates of internal displacement and crossings to Djibouti
The UNHCR estimates that internal displacement linked to the clashes will increase in the coming period, with the total number of people leaving their areas within the country expected to reach an estimated 230,000, compared with 130,000 at present. At a press conference in Geneva, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch also estimated that the number of refugees crossing the Red Sea towards Djibouti would rise from 3,000 to 10,000 during the same period.
Baloch stressed the need to provide humanitarian aid to people displaced within Yemen and refugees heading to Djibouti, as the UNHCR anticipates an increase in the number of people affected by the renewed fighting, whether those displaced within the country or crossing the Red Sea.
