The International Organization for Migration announced that the military escalation of the coup militias in and around Marib has forced thousands of people to flee in search of safety, in light of an alarming increase in displacement rates since the beginning of last month.
The organization said that it recorded the displacement of nearly 10,000 people last September, which is the highest displacement rate that was monitored during one month this year.
“This renewed violence in Marib is destabilizing and destabilizing the lives of thousands of people and leading to tragic deaths and injuries among civilians, including children,” said Christa Rottsteiner, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Yemen.
The organization confirmed that the recent escalation of fighting in the south of the governorate due to the attack launched by the Houthis led to “the destruction of basic infrastructure such as bridges and roads,” as roads were cut into and out of the Abdiya district – one of the largest districts – in southern Marib, impeding the movement of people and the entry of basic supplies. This has caused humanitarian organizations to express concern about the safety of conflict-affected communities in areas where aid cannot be delivered.
The International Migration Agency described the situation in the districts of Harib, Al-Juba and Rahba as “terrible”, as an estimated 4,700 displaced people fled this month. Most of them sought refuge in safer areas in the districts of Al-Juba and Marib Al-Wadi, and in densely populated urban areas in the city of Ma’rib. The fighting in parts of neighboring Shabwa also caused the displacement of hundreds inside that governorate and north to Marib.
The organization said that many newly displaced people live in deplorable conditions, with multiple families sheltering under one roof. More than half say that shelter is their most important need, followed by food and water, as a family of 22 live in one tent, with barely any food.
Since the beginning of the Houthi militia attack on Marib governorate last year, the International Organization for Migration and its partners have estimated that approximately 170,000 people have been displaced to the city of Marib several times, and a third of that number have fled since the beginning of this year.
Many are living in the 34 displacement sites managed by the International Organization for Migration, which has exacerbated the situation of overcrowding, and others are looking for safe haven in abandoned public buildings, or in the homes of relatives, and some have exhausted their savings in renting accommodation.
For its part, the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs stated that many families have exhausted their financial savings and are unable to adequately prepare for the upcoming winter. In addition, the alarming economic deterioration in the country, including the rapid depreciation of the Yemeni rial and associated price hikes, has made household items and shelter materials increasingly unaffordable for Yemenis in local markets.
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