The only clinic in Obock camp in northern Djibouti is under mounting pressure after the arrival of more than 3,000 new Yemeni refugees. Patient numbers have risen while the facility faces shortages of medicines and medical supplies, limiting its ability to meet the camp’s growing health needs.
Thousands of Yemenis arrive via Djibouti’s coast
The refugees reached Djibouti’s coast by sea after crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to flee escalating fighting in Yemen. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on 18 September 2026 that about 3,000 people had arrived in less than a week, before the number of new arrivals exceeded that figure. It said more than half of those crossing were women and children.
Boats continue to arrive via Obock, Khor Angar, Moulhoulé and Godoria after dangerous sea journeys aboard small vessels. The UNHCR quoted arrivals as saying they had fled their homes hurriedly because of shelling and gunfire, while some had been forced to leave family members behind in Yemen. It also said thousands more had been unable to leave because of insecurity and a lack of fuel for the boats.
Those arriving at coastal entry points are transferred to a central camp in Obock, where they are registered and receive available aid and services. The camp, established in 2015 to receive people fleeing the conflict in Yemen, was designed to host 5,000 refugees. Before the latest influx, it housed more than 2,700 Yemeni refugees and 1,500 Eritrean refugees.
Overcrowding increases disease risks and service shortages
As the camp’s capacity shrinks, Djiboutian and Yemeni families have hosted about 270 arrivals, while pressure has increased on shelter, water, sanitation, healthcare and education. The UNHCR warned that overcrowding could increase the risk of infectious diseases, including scabies and diarrhoeal illnesses, at a time when existing school facilities can no longer accommodate all newly arrived children.
Health needs are particularly acute among women and children. The United Nations Population Fund said authorities had registered 2,776 new arrivals on the northern coast in the Obock area by 16 September, a number equivalent to more than 9% of Obock town’s population.
Health workers at a central camp recorded four births among female arrivals within 48 hours and identified two other pregnant women.
The fund said it had supplied the Obock hospital medical centre with reproductive health and safe childbirth supplies, family planning materials, and essential medicines to treat infections and micronutrient deficiencies among mothers. The aid also included 100 kits for women and girls, as work continued to expand the response as the refugee influx continued.
Government strengthens shelter and healthcare in Obock
A government meeting chaired by Djibouti’s Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed on 20 September discussed the situation of arrivals in Obock and surrounding areas. It was attended by the ministers of interior, defence, health, social affairs, solidarity, and women and the family, as well as representatives of the National Office for Assistance to Refugees and Disaster Victims and the National Union of Djiboutian Women.
The meeting focused on strengthening shelter capacity, improving sanitation services, and providing tents, basic-needs kits, clothing and essential equipment, as well as improving electricity supplies to the camp. Officials also discussed transferring some equipment available in Ali Sabieh to a central camp, speeding up refugee registration and organising food-aid distribution through identification mechanisms to ensure fair access.
On health, the meeting stressed the need to monitor the risk of diarrhoeal diseases and address the vulnerability of pregnant women and children, particularly those who had not received the necessary vaccinations. The relevant authorities began preparing a medical convoy, while the World Health Organisation is providing screening and diagnostic tools to support care for refugees and local residents.
Limited response amid expectations of a new influx
The UNHCR and its partners are providing temporary shelter, transport, relief supplies, food, water and healthcare, while assisting Djiboutian authorities with reception, registration and protection operations. The government and humanitarian organisations are preparing for the possible arrival of at least 10,000 more refugees if fighting continues in Yemen.
The refugee movement is linked to escalating fighting along Yemen’s western coast, where the UNHCR said more than 100,000 people had been displaced inside the country. The areas of displacement include Hudaydah, Taiz, Lahij, Aden, Abyan, Marib, Al Dhale’e and Shabwah, amid security restrictions that hinder aid access and increase the likelihood of continued internal displacement and sea crossings to Djibouti.
