1400 Yemeni refugees reach Obock, Djibouti in 24 hours

Yemeni civilians fleeing the escalating conflict in southern Yemen began arriving in the Djiboutian port city of Obock within 24 hours, according to officials from Djibouti’s Ministry of Interior. The influx follows a rapid increase in Houthi control over the Bab al‑Mandeb strait, a vital maritime chokepoint that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that more than 1,200 individuals, including women and children, were disembarked from small boats that left the Yemeni coast after the Houthis intensified naval patrols and restricted civilian movement in the region.

Djibouti’s government has opened temporary reception facilities in Obock and is coordinating with the International Organization for Migration to provide shelter, medical care, and food assistance. The United Nations has called for unhindered humanitarian access to Yemen and warned that the Houthi tightening of the strait could disrupt global shipping lanes and exacerbate the refugee crisis. Regional authorities are monitoring the situation closely as both humanitarian and security implications unfold.