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Conflict in Yemen leads to Djibouti refugee crisis

21 Sep 2026, 14:12 GMT
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Fighting on Yemen's west coast has prompted thousands of people to flee by boat across the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Djibouti over the last ten days. The crossings were sparked by an offensive by the Iran-backed Houthi movement to take control of a key island and seize the strategically important port of Mokha. We have a report from a refugee camp in a small port town where officials are preparing for the arrival of up to 10,000 refugees. Also in the programme: Germany's chancellor admits the latest elections were a disaster for his party; artificial intelligence expected to be a core part of talks at Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States later this week: and a raft of potential medical breakthroughs for Alzheimer's disease. (Photo shows Yemeni people fleeing clashes in their country gather to receive supplies from the International Organization for Migration at the Markazi refugee camp after arriving in Djibouti on 18 September 2026. Abdourahim Arteh/Reuters)