IOM warns Djibouti faces overlapping emergencies as Yemen exodus continues

9 October 2026

The UN migration agency IOM has warned that Djibouti is facing overlapping emergencies as refugees fleeing the conflict in Yemen arrive on its shores while migrants continue to travel in the opposite direction.
More than 3,700 refugees have reached the Horn of Africa nation in the past three weeks after a dangerous crossing of the Red Sea, said Alexandre Coissac, head of IOM's mission in the country, briefing journalists in Geneva by video link.
IOM has recorded more than 20,000 journeys made from Ethiopia since 10 September by migrants heading for Yemen in the hope of finding work in the Gulf.
Another 539 Ethiopian migrants have arrived from Yemen on their way home.
Between 20 and 30 September, more than 3,000 stranded migrants were observed along migratory routes in Djibouti, facing dehydration, exhaustion and shortages of food and water.
Coissac said most migrants bound for Yemen were unaware of the grave situation there as fighting between Government and Houthi forces intensifies.
He called for more support for new arrivals, migrants in distress and host communities in Obock.