More than 201,000 people have been forced from their homes in Yemen since fighting began, according to the latest displacement figures released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on 7 October. The agency counted 201,217 people, or 33,776 households, with 197,755 people displaced since 1 September.
The total has risen rapidly in recent weeks. IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix counted about 76,000 displaced people in mid-September and more than 145,000 by the end of that month. Its latest snapshot covers displacement across 10 governorates. Ta’iz has the largest recorded total, at 114,708 people, equal to 57 per cent of the overall figure. Lahj has 42,264, Aden 20,814, Abyan 9,030 and Al Hodeidah 8,244.
Smaller totals were recorded in Hadramawt, Shabwah, Ma’rib, Al Maharah and Ad Dali’. Within Ta’iz, three districts account for three-quarters of the people recorded there: Al Ma’afer, with 31,230; Jabal Habashi, with 31,020; and Ash Shamayatayn, with 24,894. The figures are a snapshot of people recorded by the tracking system, rather than a final count of everyone who has had to move.
Shelter is the most commonly reported urgent need
In interviews with displaced families, shelter was identified as the most urgent need by 35 per cent. Food was cited by 33 per cent, cash support by 22 per cent and protection by one in ten. IOM says families are staying in makeshift shelters or with relatives and neighbours, while host communities are sharing limited resources.
The agency reported that more than 3,700 people had also fled Yemen by sea to Djibouti. Its account described families arriving with few belongings and little food or water. This movement across the border is separate from the count of people displaced within Yemen.
IOM teams and partners are working with local authorities to provide emergency shelter, essential household items, cash, clean water and protection services. In Djibouti, the agency is assisting people arriving by sea. IOM says the humanitarian response plan for Yemen is only 20 per cent funded, while relief stocks are running low and needs continue to grow.
A major humanitarian plan remains underfunded
The 2026 Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan seeks US$2.16 billion. It aims to reach 12 million people, including 9.4 million prioritised for assistance according to the severity of their needs. The plan identifies food insecurity, displacement, strained health services, water scarcity and protection risks among the country’s major humanitarian pressures.
Funding percentages are time-sensitive: the UN’s online tracking figures are updated as contributions are reported and processed. The 20 per cent figure in IOM’s 7 October statement describes the funding position cited in that release, rather than a promise that the plan will remain at that level.
IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix records population movements and priority needs, but its rapid tracking does not represent every displacement in Yemen. The agency notes that access constraints in some areas limit data collection. The published totals should therefore be read as recorded estimates, not a complete census.
IOM says it will continue tracking movements and share verified data, and expects displacement to rise in the coming days. It has called for additional funding and for parties to protect civilians and aid workers and allow safe, unhindered humanitarian access.
