More Yemenis expected to flee from upsurge in fighting, UN says

GENEVA, Sept 22 - Tens of thousands more people could be driven from homes in Yemen by an upsurge of fighting that has already displaced more than 130,000 people this month, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.

“Intensifying fighting in Yemen could drive more mass displacement, with growing numbers of people expected to flee, both within Yemen and to Djibouti, Somalia, and other countries," UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told a Geneva press briefing.

He said that planning projections indicated that an additional 100,000 people could be forced from their homes within the next three months.

Iran-backed Houthi fighters have advanced this month in a battle against forces of a Saudi-backed government, seizing the Red Sea coast and extending the wider Middle East conflict to a new theatre.

Most of those displaced so far remain within Yemen, but more than 3,000 people have fled by boat across the Red Sea to Africa. This figure could rise to 10,000 next month when calmer seas are likely to encourage more departures, Baloch said.

A UNHCR response plan for Yemen was less than 20% funded before the renewed violence caused a surge in needs, a statement said. REUTERS