More than 10,000 Yemenis could flee across the Red Sea to Djibouti as renewed fighting drives more people from their homes, the United Nations has warned.
Around 3,000 Yemenis have already made the dangerous sea journey since the beginning of September.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, expects that number to rise as sea conditions improve.
Djibouti prepares for more arrivals
Djibouti is already receiving thousands of people fleeing the conflict in Yemen.
UNHCR warned that the number of arrivals could reach 10,000 by next month.
The agency is seeking more than $13 million to provide essential services to refugees.
However, its operations in Djibouti are currently only 15% funded.
The funding shortage could make it harder to respond if arrivals continue to increase.
Yemen displacement continues to rise
The crisis is also forcing more people from their homes inside Yemen.
More than 130,000 people have recently been displaced by fighting along the country’s coast.
The UN warned that this figure could rise above 230,000.
That would add to the estimated 5.2 million people already displaced inside Yemen after years of conflict.
UN agencies face funding shortage
Humanitarian agencies are preparing for further displacement both inside Yemen and across the Red Sea.
UNHCR is seeking more than $13 million for its response in Djibouti.
Meanwhile, the agency says it urgently needs $25 million to support tens of thousands of displaced people affected by the latest fighting.
Djibouti sits across the Red Sea from Yemen and has become an important destination for people making the dangerous journey out of the country.
The UN warning comes as humanitarian agencies prepare for the possibility of thousands more people seeking safety in the coming weeks.