[Yemen: More than a quarter of a million displaced since fighting resumed

Yemen: More than a quarter of a million displaced since fighting resumed

Aden – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced on Tuesday that more than a quarter of a million people have been displaced within Yemen since August, following the resumption of fighting between government forces and the Houthis.

UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh told reporters in Geneva that the organization is "deeply concerned about the worsening displacement situation in Yemen, with the number of displaced people exceeding 250,000." He explained that these individuals were displaced "within Yemen between August 1 and October 17."

The country plunged back into war last July after years of relative calm, following its involvement in the regional conflict that erupted in late February as a result of the US-Israeli attack on Iran.

Saltmarsh said that Taiz governorate in western Yemen is a "source of grave concern," as it is "the main source of displacement, accounting for 76 percent of displacement cases and hosting 52 percent of newly displaced people."

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says it is providing emergency cash assistance, increasing its support for emergency shelter, and working with its partners to secure shelter and basic necessities for newly displaced families.

However, Saltmarsh emphasized that "access difficulties to the affected areas continue to impede humanitarian operations and movement, particularly to and from the Kharaz camp in Lahj Governorate (south), which shelters some 10,000 people."

He noted that more than 65,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from Somalia and Ethiopia, remain in Yemen and "are among the most affected by the renewed conflict."

Regarding refugees outside Yemen, UNHCR registered 4,078 refugees as of October 17, including 3,836 in Djibouti and 242 in Somalia. No new arrivals from Yemen were recorded in Djibouti between October 8 and 14.