IOM: Over 300,000 Displaced in Yemen Amid Escalating Fighting in West

Yemen Monitor / Newsroom: More than 300,000 people have been displaced in Yemen following an escalation of fighting in the country’s western regions, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday, noting that the vast majority of displacements occurred over the past two months amid rising humanitarian needs and severe access constraints. In a statement issued Sunday, the UN migration agency reported that thousands of families have been forced to flee their homes with little to no belongings. Displaced populations face acute shortages of shelter, food, clean water, and healthcare, compounded by restrictions that continue to impede humanitarian access to affected communities. “Yemeni families are being forced to flee yet again after years of conflict,” said Abdusattar Esoev, IOM Chief of Mission in Yemen, warning that a lack of additional funding threatens to leave thousands of families without essential relief aid. Esoev added that active hostilities have driven a sharp rise in the prices of basic commodities. In Taiz, the cost of essential goods has surged three- to five-fold due to road blockades cutting off surrounding areas, making food and daily necessities increasingly unaffordable for vulnerable households. According to the IOM, more than 43,000 people have fled the Al-Mudhaffar and Ras Al-Arah districts in Lahj governorate since early October—the highest displacement tally recorded at the district level across the country. Meanwhile, displaced families from Taiz continue to move south toward the temporary capital, Aden, which currently hosts over 56,000 displaced individuals. Addressing the health response, the agency stated that it operates five mobile medical teams across the governorates of Marib, Lahj, Aden, and Taiz. These teams provide primary healthcare, reproductive health services, malnutrition screenings, immunizations, psychosocial support, protection services, and medical referrals, having conducted approximately 1,000 consultations over the past week alone. The IOM warned that despite recent contributions to expand its response operations, humanitarian needs continue to outpace available resources. The agency appealed for $45 million over the next six months to deliver life-saving assistance, including shelter, emergency cash support, essential non-food items, healthcare, clean water, sanitation, and protection services. The organization urged all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, and to guarantee safe, unhindered access for relief aid, particularly to hard-to-reach areas in Taiz governorate. The post IOM: Over 300,000 Displaced in Yemen Amid Escalating Fighting in West appeared first on Yemen Monitor.