Djibouti calls for assistance as thousands of Yemenis flee to country

Djibouti’s interior minister has warned that the number of people arriving in the country already exceeds national capacity.

Refugees from Yemen speak with International Organization of Migration staff after fleeing fighting in their home country [AFP]

Djibouti is calling on the international community to urgently provide assistance to help deal with the rising number of Yemenis fleeing to the country , warning that the figure already exceeds national capacity.

More than 2,500 Yemenis have arrived in Djibouti since Thursday last week, according to Interior Minister Omar Abdi Said.

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“We expect the number of displaced people to rise to about 10,000 in the coming weeks,” Said said on Wednesday.

“The influx of migrants has already exceeded our national capacity, and we are facing increasing pressure as international funding declines. We call on the United Nations and international partners to mobilise urgent financial resources commensurate with the scale of the crisis.”

Heavy fighting is under way in western Yemen between the Iran-backed Houthis and the internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia. Thousands of Yemenis have sought safety in Djibouti, which lies directly opposite Yemen across the Red Sea.

The conflict is worsening the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East. More than 4.5 million people have been displaced since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015. The latest escalation has raised concerns of further internal displacement and the possibility of more Yemenis fleeing the country.

The International Organization for Migration’s Djibouti Office (IOM) said in a video posted on X on Wednesday that its staff and local authorities are on the ground, providing Yemenis arriving in the country with food and water.

The agency’s response coordinator for Djibouti, Safiya Ibrahim, warned that many people, including women, children, babies and sick people, are arriving in the country daily, adding that the IOM is “counting on additional financial support” to continue its operations.

Djibouti is the third-smallest nation on the African continent, with a population of less than 1.2 million.

吉布提内政部长警告说，抵达该国的人数已经超过了国家承载能力。

来自也门的难民在逃离祖国战火后与国际移民组织工作人员交谈 [法新社]

吉布提呼吁国际社会紧急提供援助，以帮助应对涌入该国的也门难民人数不断增加的问题，并警告说，难民人数已经超过了吉布提的国家承受能力。

据内政部长奥马尔·阿卜迪·赛义德称，自上周四以来，已有超过2500名也门人抵达吉布提。

列表 1/3：沙特领导的联军拦截胡塞武装飞往麦加的无人机

塔伊兹难民营人满为患，挤满了在胡塞武装进攻后逃离战火的也门难民。（列表2/3）

吉布提进入警戒状态，胡塞武装占领马云后，民众逃离也门

“我们预计未来几周内流离失所的人数将上升到约 10,000 人，”赛义德周三表示。

“涌入的移民人数已经超过了我国的接收能力，而且随着国际资金的减少，我们面临的压力越来越大。我们呼吁联合国和国际伙伴调动与危机规模相称的紧急财政资源。”

也门西部地区，伊朗支持的胡塞武装与沙特阿拉伯支持的国际公认政府之间爆发激烈冲突。数千名也门人已逃往位于红海对岸、与也门隔海相望的吉布提寻求庇护。

这场冲突加剧了也门严峻的人道主义危机，也门是中东最贫穷的国家。自2015年沙特领导的联军介入也门内战以来，已有超过450万人流离失所。此次冲突升级引发了人们对国内流离失所问题进一步加剧以及更多也门人可能逃离该国的担忧。

国际移民组织吉布提办事处（IOM）周三在X网站上发布的一段视频中表示，其工作人员和当地政府官员正在当地为抵达该国的也门人提供食物和水。

国际移民组织驻吉布提应急协调员萨菲亚·易卜拉欣警告说，每天都有许多人，包括妇女、儿童、婴儿和病人，抵达该国。她还表示，国际移民组织“指望获得更多财政支持”以继续开展行动。

吉布提是非洲大陆第三小的国家，人口不足120万。