Renewed fighting in Yemen has displaced more than 130,000 people and sent thousands across the Red Sea to the Horn of Africa, the United Nations refugee chief told the Security Council on Friday.
Barham Salih said 3,700 individuals have sought safety in Djibouti and other African nations, with additional crossings expected. The conflict's spread across multiple front lines this month has driven the exodus.
More than 60 percent of the latest displacements occurred in Taiz, according to UNHCR data. This adds to an already dire situation where over 5.2 million people were internally displaced within Yemen before the renewed hostilities.
UNHCR declared a "Level 1" emergency for Yemen, Djibouti and Somalia. This designation allows for rapid deployment of staff and resources, alongside increased financial assistance, shelter and protection efforts in the affected regions.
The agency projects that the number of additional people displaced inside Yemen could climb to more than 230,000. Over 10,000 people are expected to cross to Djibouti. Despite these escalating needs, UNHCR's 2026 operations in Yemen are only 18 percent funded.
Salih called for the "immediate and unconditional release of all UN personnel and other humanitarian workers arbitrarily detained by the Houthi de facto authorities" in Yemen.
The briefing marked Salih's first appearance before the Security Council since his election as High Commissioner in December 2025. He assumed office on Jan. 1, succeeding Filippo Grandi, and previously served as Iraq's president.
During the session, Salih also described Sudan as "the largest displacement crisis in the world." Nearly 12 million people are forcibly displaced both within and outside Sudan. Approximately 4.5 million Sudanese refugees are sheltering in neighboring countries.
Sudan has been embroiled in civil war since April 2023, with the Sudanese Armed Forces fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Salih recounted visits to Chad, Kenya, Ethiopia and Egypt during his initial months in office, where he met refugees fleeing violence. He observed the "extraordinary solidarity" of the host countries but said these nations "cannot shoulder the consequences of this conflict alone."
Humanitarian aid provides temporary relief but does not offer a lasting solution, he said. "As long as this war continues, people will continue to flee," Salih said. "Humanitarian assistance can keep people alive; it cannot give Sudan the peace its people need to return and rebuild. There is no military solution to the conflict in Sudan."
Salih urged the warring factions in Sudan to demonstrate political will, support a humanitarian truce and engage in dialogue to resolve the conflict.
