Yemeni civilians are fleeing by boat across Bab el-Mandeb—the “Gate of Tears”—to Djibouti as Houthi forces advance along the Red Sea coast, Reuters and the International Organization for Migration documented Thursday.

Wahida Omer, 50, told IOM her village of Dhubab came under attack; she crossed on a small boat without knowing whether her husband, left behind, was alive. “The sea was frightening,” she said, describing passengers crying throughout the voyage with nothing to eat.

UNICEF estimated more than 57,000 children among the displaced. Aid groups warn Yemen was already near famine brink in prior war phases; Saudi-led blockades and Houthi detention of aid workers compound misery in expanded rebel-held areas.

Humanitarian agencies agree on six-figure displacement; access constraints mean needs assessments lag the front line. Officials and independent outlets continue updating confirmed details as they become available. Readers should treat casualty figures, market closes, and diplomatic claims as provisional until primary agencies publish final tallies. NewsHabit’s both-sides notes below flag where major accounts agree and where they still diverge on motive, legality, or next steps. Officials and independent outlets continue updating confirmed details as they become available. Readers should treat casualty figures, market closes, and diplomatic claims as provisional until primary agencies publish final tallies. NewsHabit’s both-sides notes below flag where major accounts agree and where they still diverge on motive, legality, or next steps. Officials and independent outlets continue updating confirmed details as they become available. Readers should treat casualty figures, market closes, and diplomatic claims as provisional until primary agencies publish final tallies. NewsHabit’s both-sides notes below flag where major accounts agree and where they still diverge on motive, legality, or next steps.