A fuel shortage in Yemen is restricting movement for people fleeing renewed fighting and trying to cross the Red Sea to Djibouti. The International Organization for Migration said more Yemenis were preparing to make the boat journey as conflict and displacement intensified. More than 2,000 Yemenis were already in Djibouti, where authorities and the U.N. migration agency were providing food and shelter.
The International Organization for Migration said fuel scarcity was hampering movement inside Yemen and access to departure points. More than 2,000 Yemenis were in Djibouti after crossing the Red Sea. Djibouti’s government and IOM were providing food and shelter to arrivals. The agency said additional people in Yemen were preparing to cross by boat.
Fighting between the internationally recognized government and Houthi forces has intensified after a relative lull. Recent Houthi advances and attacks on Saudi Arabia have widened the immediate regional context. The crossing itself involves small vessels and significant maritime risk. The number of people able to reach ports may be lower than the number seeking to leave because fuel is scarce.
Yemen’s civil war has displaced civilians repeatedly during more than a decade of conflict. Djibouti sits across the Bab el-Mandeb and has long served as a transit and refuge point for regional migration. Fuel supply affects hospitals, water pumping and food distribution in addition to personal travel. IOM figures document registered or observed movements and may not capture every departure.
The record remains incomplete in defined ways. The report did not establish how many people remained unable to travel or the duration of the shortage. The next observable steps are IOM arrival and displacement counts. Fuel availability, port access and changes in the fighting near western Yemen.