UN Warns of a Fast-Worsening Crisis for 65,000 Refugees in Yemen, a Mass Flight From Ethiopia Into Kenya, and 9 Million People Facing Winter
At a Geneva briefing, UNHCR said its Yemen operation is 19% funded and at least 139 people died trying to cross the sea in October. About 50,000 Ethiopians have fled fighting into Kenya through Moyale. Here are the numbers.
The UN refugee agency said Friday it is alarmed by a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis facing more than 65,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in Yemen, and warned of a growing displacement emergency on the Ethiopia-Kenya border, according to the official summary of the UN Geneva press briefing on Oct. 30.
Matthew Saltmarsh, a UNHCR spokesperson, said escalating conflict, economic collapse, shrinking resources and limits on access are leaving thousands of refugees in Yemen at risk. Conditions are particularly concerning in Kharaz refugee camp, home to 9,500 refugees, where nearby shelling has disrupted services and heightened fear, he said. Food, health care and water assistance continue, but schools and other services remain suspended, and rising prices are making it harder for families to meet basic needs.
Refugees are increasingly moving in search of safety, and demand for assisted voluntary returns has surged, Saltmarsh said. Since August, UNHCR has supported the return of 607 Somali refugees, though ongoing fighting threatens future operations.
Yemen remains a destination despite the war. More than 134,000 asylum-seekers and migrants arrived in Yemen by sea in the first nine months of 2026, and at least 139 people reportedly died attempting the crossing in October alone, according to the summary. At the same time, about 4,200 people have fled Yemen by sea since September. More than 250,000 Yemenis have been newly displaced.
UNHCR's Yemen operation is only 19% funded, Saltmarsh said. Insecurity in Yemen and disruptions to key maritime routes are also raising costs and causing delays for humanitarian shipments across the region, including to Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia.
Bringing supplies into Yemen has become much more difficult, Saltmarsh told reporters, and displaced people have been unable to reach places where aid is located. UNHCR called for urgent de-escalation, humanitarian access and protection of civilians. Alessandra Vellucci, director of the UN Information Service in Geneva, noted that 71 UN staff members, along with members of civil society and diplomats, are still detained in Yemen.
On Ethiopia, Saltmarsh said the situation in Moyale had become "deeply concerning," with about 50,000 Ethiopians fleeing fighting into Kenya. Many new arrivals are staying with extended families, but public buildings where people are gathering are congested. The Red Cross had been distributing hot meals but had run out of supplies, and heavy rain is complicating relief. There are reports of open defecation, lack of water, communicable disease and mosquito swarms, he said. UNHCR and partners have developed a response plan seeking $9 million for 50,000 refugees over the next few months.
Tarik Jašarević of the World Health Organization said the situation in northern Ethiopia remains volatile, with restrictions affecting operations. In Tigray, mobile health teams' work has been suspended because of insecurity, he said. WHO has distributed supplies worth more than $80,000 to hard-to-reach populations, and mobile health and nutrition teams serve seven sites for internally displaced people. Jens Laerke of the UN humanitarian office, OCHA, said it was not tracking casualties in Ethiopia and that there were many access problems.
UNHCR also launched its winter appeal. Dominique Hyde, the agency's director of external relations, said about 9 million people across Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria and Lebanon will need additional support in the coming months. Rising oil and food prices and inflation have an outsized effect on refugees, she said. UNHCR aims to raise $50 million from individuals and the private sector; last year's campaign raised $47.6 million from companies, foundations and philanthropies. Donations pay for heating devices, thermal kits and insulation. The agency has rebuilt about 4,000 homes in Afghanistan and Syria.
In Ukraine, four years into a full-scale war, "the scale of destruction was massive and attacks on energy were a major concern," Hyde said, according to the summary. UNHCR expects greater needs this winter.
On Ukraine, Saltmarsh said UNHCR was monitoring the situation in Russian-occupied Oleshky, where civilians remained trapped, and stood ready to help people once they were moved.
The briefing also noted that the UN Joint Inspection Unit, the only independent oversight body with a system-wide mandate, marks 60 years on Nov. 4, and that the International Telecommunication Union will release its annual global connectivity report on Nov. 3.
Still unknown: whether donors will close the Yemen funding gap before winter, and how many more people will cross from Ethiopia into Kenya if fighting continues.
