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SITUATION OVERVIEW
In May 2023, the security and political situation continued to be relatively stable. Frontlines in south Ta’iz and to the north of Ma’rib remained calm. However, clashes resumed in Harib and Ma’irb Al Wadi districts in Ma’rib governorate, as well as in areas along Yemen’s west coast, which led to civilian casualties.
IOM’s Displacement Track Matrix (DTM) estimated that 245 households (HHs), or 1,470 individuals, were newly displaced in May, mainly due to flooding and tribal clashes in Ma’rib and violence in Ta’iz. Tribal conflicts near Al Maseel site in Ma’rib Al Wadi district forced all residents (approximately 356 HHs) to leave and relocate to other areas. However, they were able to return to the same site after violence ceased. Clashes in the west coast, particularly a drone attack in Al Hayma site, also led to civilian casualties, increased humanitarian needs and displacement. Furthermore, OCHA and other partners continued to report civilian casualties, including of children, caused by explosive remnants of war in the north and south of Yemen, especially in Al Hodeidah.
Rain and flooding continue to impact internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ma’rib, Ta’iz and Ibb. Many IDPs already live in precarious conditions, with heavy rain damaging their shelters, destroying their belongings, and putting their health and safety at risk. IOM’s Camp Coordination Camp Management (CCCM) team responded in the most affected areas, however the team was unable to assist the affected HHs in At Tuhayta due to access issues. The teams also conducted awareness sessions about rain and flood mitigation and fire risk reduction in the affected sites.
January to May 2023 has seen a significant increase in migrant arrivals with over 66,330 migrants arriving to Yemen’s shores, approximately 90 per cent of the total 73,233 arrivals in 2022. IOM expects the number of new migrants in 2023 could double that of 2022. The overall increase could be linked to weather conditions, sea tides and decreased coast guard patrolling in Djibouti. Ethiopian migrants continued to cite economic reasons as their primary reasons for migration while most migrants from Somalia left for conflict-related reasons. Migration flows inside Yemen changed in May as many migrants preferred to use road transportation instead of walking due to the increase in temperatures. This created undignified means of movement where migrants travelling between Aden and Lahj were placed in congested trucks and often exploited for cheap casual labor (such as offloading the trucks).