Nearly 130,000 people displaced in Yemen in few weeks: UN migration agency

Nearly 130,000 people have been displaced across seven governorates in Yemen as families flee escalating insecurity, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday.

The UN agency's latest Displacement Tracking Matrix data showed that 129,438 people, or 21,573 households, have been forced from their homes.

"Nearly 130,000 people have been forced from their homes in just a few weeks. Many have already moved more than once to find safety," said Othman Belbeisi, IOM regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Belbeisi said the number had risen by 11,352 in just three days, from 118,086 on Sept. 18.

Taiz hosts the largest number of newly displaced people at 73,494, followed by Lahj with 33,828, Aden with 8,946, and Al Hodeidah with 8,244. Displacement was also recorded in Abyan, Hadramawt, and Marib.

"These are families who have lost their homes and their income," Belbeisi said, warning that communities receiving them were already struggling and needed greater support.

Meanwhile, 3,106 people had crossed the Red Sea from Yemen to Djibouti as of Sunday evening, according to IOM.

The agency said it is providing emergency assistance to arrivals and appealed for increased support.