Thousands Flee Escalating Yemen Conflict Across Red Sea to Djibouti

More than 120,000 Yemenis have been displaced following a sharp escalation in conflict along Yemen's Red Sea coast, with thousands fleeing across the Bab al-Mandab Strait to neighboring Djibouti. The surge in displacement comes as Houthi forces advanced toward strategic maritime points and Saudi-backed pro-government forces responded with widespread airstrikes.

Escalating Hostilities Drive Sea Exodus

In recent days, over 3,000 refugees have arrived at the Markazi camp in Obock, northern Djibouti. The facility, jointly administered by the Djiboutian government and the United Nations, is housing families who crossed the narrow waterway in boats before traveling inland by truck and on foot.

The recent displacement follows a rapid advance by Houthi fighters down the coast toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Saudi Arabia, supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government, launched hundreds of airstrikes along the coastal plain where Houthi troops have established positions. In response, Houthi forces targeted infrastructure and cities in southwestern Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles, effectively ending a fragile UN-brokered truce established in 2022.

Refugees Detail Conditions and Uncertainty

Displaced Yemenis at the Markazi camp report escaping heavy bombardment that endangered civilian lives. Ibrahim Issa, a 50-year-old fisherman from the coastal town of Dhubab, used his fishing vessel to transport his family and livestock across the strait to escape heavy airstrikes. Other families arrived with minimal belongings after leaving their homes hastily.

While Djibouti maintains a strict policy of non-involvement in the Yemeni civil war, the country hosts major foreign military installations, including the US military's Camp Lemonnier and a Chinese naval base. Refugees currently residing in the Obock camp, including long-term residents displaced since the conflict intensified in 2015, expressed a desire to return home only if stable peace is restored to Yemen.