Yemen’s Deepening Crisis Leaves Refugees at Risk as Conflict Disrupts Vital Aid Routes

Thousands of people continue to make dangerous sea crossings from the Horn of Africa to Yemen, despite the country’s deteriorating security and living conditions.

More than 65,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in Yemen face a worsening humanitarian crisis as fighting, economic collapse and dwindling resources leave families struggling to find safety. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, says restrictions on humanitarian access are making it increasingly difficult to reach people who depend on assistance. Rising prices and disrupted services are adding to the pressure on communities that have already fled conflict and persecution.

Thousands of people continue to make dangerous sea crossings from the Horn of Africa to Yemen, despite the country's deteriorating security and living conditions. More than 134,000 asylum-seekers and migrants arrived by sea during the first nine months of 2026, many intending to travel through Yemen to other countries. Those escaping conflict, persecution, instability and hardship are reaching a country where violence and uncertainty shape daily life.

The crisis is putting pressure on aid deliveries across the wider region, with attacks in the Gulf and shipping disruptions increasing costs and delaying supplies. More than a quarter of a million Yemenis have been displaced in recent months, adding to needs that humanitarian agencies lack the funding to meet. UNHCR's Yemen response is just 19 per cent funded for 2026, having received $36 million of the $194 million required.

Shelling disrupts camp services and pushes families to leave

Conditions are particularly worrying in Kharaz refugee camp in Yemen's southwestern Lahj governorate, where around 9,500 refugees from Somalia and Ethiopia live. The camp is in a government-controlled area tens of kilometres from the fighting, but nearby shelling has interrupted services and restricted movement. No refugee casualties have been verified, though families who previously escaped conflict are experiencing renewed fear about their safety.

UNHCR's partners have distributed food inside the camp in coordination with local authorities, and health assistance and water supplies continue under difficult conditions. Schools have been suspended, legal and documentation services interrupted, and most other services placed on hold as fuel and staple food prices rise. Families are leaving Kharaz and other western areas with restricted humanitarian access for places including Aden, travelling along roads used by fighting parties and exposing themselves to further danger.

Requests for help returning home have increased sharply since the conflict escalated in August, with UNHCR arranging three flights from Aden to Mogadishu that enabled 607 Somali refugees to return voluntarily. More than 1,100 others have expressed interest in returning, but airport shelling and intensifying fighting are jeopardising further departures. The worsening security situation puts both refugees and humanitarian workers at risk, narrowing the options available to people seeking a safe way out.

Dangerous sea journeys continue in both directions

Changing smuggling routes are forcing people onto longer and more dangerous journeys as smugglers try to evade maritime security operations. At least 139 people reportedly died at sea off Djibouti in October during attempts to reach Yemen. These deaths underline the dangers facing people who continue to cross despite Yemen's years of conflict and prolonged humanitarian emergency.

Sea movements are also taking people away from Yemen, with around 4,200 crossing to Djibouti and Somalia since September to escape the country. Humanitarian organisations expect departures to increase as sea conditions improve, creating further demand for assistance in receiving countries. UNHCR warns that without urgent international attention, unrestricted humanitarian access and additional support, thousands face further displacement, deprivation and harm.

Shipping disruption raises the cost of delivering aid

Conflict in Yemen, attacks across the Gulf, disruption around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and continued volatility near the Strait of Hormuz are straining humanitarian supply chains. UNHCR has secured free transport for 11 containers of emergency relief supplies from Dubai to Yemen, but changing security conditions and logistical restrictions are complicating delivery. Aid agencies are switching between ports and transport corridors, including Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Sohar, Salalah and Jeddah, bringing additional delays, uncertainty and expense.

Humanitarian shipments continue to pass through Bab el-Mandeb, a major maritime link between Asia, the Middle East and Africa, but congestion at regional transshipment hubs is slowing deliveries. UNHCR operations in Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia are particularly exposed to disruption affecting Red Sea shipping and trade. Unstable security conditions, changes in carrier capacity and route adjustments are making delivery schedules harder to predict, especially for relief operations that depend heavily on sea transport.

Average sea freight rates on key routes into Port Sudan rose between the third and fourth quarters of 2026 by about 32 per cent for 20-foot containers and 25 per cent for 40-foot containers. Some routes recorded increases of up to 48 per cent and 45 per cent respectively, placing further pressure on limited humanitarian budgets. UNHCR is maintaining emergency stocks at strategically located regional and global hubs, exploring alternative routes and transport methods, and working with logistics partners and donors to keep deliveries flexible.

The agency is calling for urgent de-escalation, protection of civilians and humanitarian access so assistance can reach people caught in the crisis. It is asking for sustained support for emergency preparedness and stronger supply chains to protect deliveries against further disruption. For families facing violence, interrupted services and rising living costs, reliable access to those supplies remains essential to survival.