UN: Conflict displaces 28K Yemeni families in 11 months

By Halime Afra Aksoy

SANAA, Yemen (AA) - The International Organization for Migration said Wednesday that nearly 28,000 Yemeni families have been displaced since the start of 2020 because of the ongoing conflict.

A report by the UN agency said from the beginning of 2020 until Nov. 27, a total of 27,716 families with 166,296 people have been displaced.

The cities that witnessed the most displacements are Marib in the east, Al-Hudaydah in the west, and Taiz in the southwest.

The ongoing conflict in the country and natural disasters such as floods are the main causes of the displacement.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, as millions face the risk of starvation.

*Bassel Barakat in Ankara contributed to this report