Fighting uproots 112,000 in Yemen as thousands flee to Djibouti, UN says

Fighting uproots 112,000 in Yemen as thousands flee to Djibouti, UN says

Renewed fighting in Yemen has displaced more than 112,000 people and pushed nearly 3,000 others to flee across the Red Sea to Djibouti, the United Nations said on Friday. 

Houthis last week seized control of Yemen's Red Sea coastline, tightening their grip on the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, a vital shipping gateway linking Europe and Asia via the Suez Canal. 

The latest fighting between the Houthis and forces loyal to the Aden-based government has also sparked a fresh humanitarian crisis, with civilians uprooted inside Yemen and others risking dangerous sea crossings to flee the violence.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has recorded more than 112,000 internally displaced people since the outbreak of fighting, the UN agency's leader in Yemen, Abdusattor Esoev, told reporters.

Most have been displaced over the last two weeks, mainly along the west coast and in the provinces of Taiz and Lahj, he said.