Tens of thousands of Yemenis are fleeing their homes following a rapid advance by Iran-backed Houthi rebels toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital passage for global commercial shipping. The escalation has displaced residents across the region, with local hosts in Aden opening their doors to families escaping the rebel takeover of the key port city of Mokha.
In local temporary housing, dozens of displaced men were forced to sleep on thin floor mattresses and bed sheets.
”We set out in hysterical panic on a motorcycle, not knowing where we were heading,” said Alaa Ali Salem, who fled the al-Khawkha district of Mokha alongside his family. “The roads suddenly became extremely congested, and while I was driving, the motorcycle overturned. My wife, my children and I were all injured,” he added while holding his son.
The scale of the displacement has surged dramatically in recent days. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 76,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since July due to the escalating conflict, up from an estimated 46,000 just days prior.
“We saw soldiers shouting for a retreat as bullets flew all around, and we had no idea what was happening,” said Durrah Ali Hassan, who managed to find shelter at a relative’s home in Aden.
The territorial expansion brings Houthi forces into direct control of vital trade infrastructure. Rebel forces seized the Red Sea port of Mokha on Thursday before taking Mayun, also known as Perim Island, on Friday. Officials note that these swift acquisitions place Houthi fighters at the core of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime route that previously served as a primary pathway for Saudi crude oil exports to Asia.
The rapid offensive has heightened fears of shipping disruptions, even as Houthi leadership attempts to reassure international maritime operators that vessels outside their explicit embargo on Saudi-linked trade remain safe. The group already maintains control over major territories in northern Yemen, including Hodeida and the capital, Sanaa.
The crisis is also spilling across international borders into the Horn of Africa. Approximately 1,400 displaced people crossed into neighboring Djibouti over a 24-hour period as clashes between government troops and Houthi fighters intensified.
“1400 #refugees arrived in #Djibouti from #Yemen in just 24 hours,” wrote Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Djibouti’s minister of economy and finance, on X.
Situated directly across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Yemen, Djibouti is bracing for additional arrivals as the security situation deteriorates.
Safiya Ibrahim, humanitarian response coordinator for the IOM, noted that “vulnerable groups such as women and children have reached the shores of Obock, with more expected in the coming days.”
