Djibouti seeks urgent funding as Yemen arrivals exceed national capacity
More than 2,500 Yemenis have reportedly arrived in Djibouti since last Thursday, with officials warning the number could reach 10,000 in coming weeks.
Djibouti has appealed to the United Nations and international partners for urgent financial assistance after more than 2,500 Yemenis reportedly arrived in the country since Thursday last week.
Interior Minister Omar Abdi Said said the arrivals had already exceeded Djibouti’s national capacity and warned the number could rise to about 10,000 in coming weeks. He said international funding was declining as pressure on the country increased.
The appeal comes as fighting reportedly intensifies in western Yemen between the Houthis and the internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. Djibouti lies across the Red Sea from Yemen and has a population of less than 1.2 million.
The International Organization for Migration said its staff and local authorities were providing arriving Yemenis with food and water. The agency said women, children, babies and sick people were arriving daily.
The IOM said it needed additional financial support to continue its operations. More than 4.5 million people have reportedly been displaced in Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in the country’s civil war in 2015.
