130,000 displaced by Houthi advance in Yemen, says IOM

Nearly 130,000 people have been displaced across seven governorates in Yemen due to escalating insecurity, with many of them having been displaced multiple times, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday.

"The numbers keep climbing. On September 18 we recorded 118,086 displaced people. Three days later, the figure has risen by 11,352," said Othman Belbeisi, IOM regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

According to the latest IOM data, Taiz Governorate hosts the largest number of displaced people, with 73,494.

Meanwhile, as of Sunday evening, 3,106 people had crossed the Red Sea from Yemen to Djibouti, the UN agency said.

The country was plunged back into violence earlier this month as Iran-backed Houthi rebels advanced down the coast, capturing the port of Mocha.

The IOM is warning that Taiz city could be the Houthis’ next target, threatening a further humanitarian crisis.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when the Houthi group seized control of parts of the country, including the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year in support of the internationally recognized government. Years of fighting, economic hardship and recurring natural disasters have left millions of Yemenis in need of humanitarian assistance.

The IOM said it is providing emergency assistance to those displaced and is calling on the international community for more support.