Nearly 130,000 people have been displaced across seven governorates in Yemen due to escalating insecurity, with many of them having been displaced multiple times, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday.
"The numbers keep climbing. On Sept. 18 we recorded 118,086 displaced people. Three days later, the figure has risen by 11,352," said Othman Belbeisi, IOM regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.
According to the latest IOM data, Taiz Governorate hosts the largest number of displaced people, with 73,494.
Meanwhile, as of Sunday evening, 3,106 people had crossed the Red Sea from Yemen to Djibouti, the UN agency said.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when the Houthi group seized control of parts of the country, including the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year in support of the internationally recognized government. Years of fighting, economic hardship and recurring natural disasters have left millions of Yemenis in need of humanitarian assistance.
The IOM said it is providing emergency assistance to those displaced and is calling on the international community for more support.
130,000 displaced in Yemen amid escalating conflict: UN agency
International officials called for closer APEC cooperation to address employment challenges brought by industrial upgrading and AI, at the 8th APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting, which concluded on Monday in Nanjing City, east China's Jiangsu Province.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of a joint statement and the first outcome document focused on artificial intelligence in the history of APEC human resources development cooperation, providing action guidelines for future cooperation in APEC human resources development.
More than 150 representatives from 19 APEC economies, the APEC Secretariat, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council and the International Labor Organization (ILO) attended the meeting.
The meeting focused on three core topics including promoting high-quality and full employment and building an employment-friendly development model, investing in people and improving the quality and effectiveness of vocational skills training and strengthening social security systems to make them more optimized and sustainable.
Representatives of international organizations said Asia-Pacific economies face challenges in balancing industrial innovation and upgrading with employment stability for ordinary workers. To this end, economies are strengthening cooperation on three major issues: job opportunities, skills upgrading and social security. China has made useful explorations in institution building.
"China has recently carried out pilot programs for occupational protection for platform economy workers, or workers in new forms of employment, which is a good exploration. The International Labour Organization is also willing to strengthen cooperation with China, absorb good practices from China and our members, and form good systems to protect the rights and interests of our workers," said Hao Bin, assistant director-general of the ILO.
Addressing the impact of rapid AI development on the job market, Peruvian Ambassador to China Carlos Raul Vasquez said Peru is prioritizing social development and technical skills training, and that different economies can deepen cooperation through the APEC platform.
"I have been discussing with some other economies right now today in the meeting the possibility of presenting common projects to promote higher levels of digital skills, particularly in artificial intelligence among our economies and particularly for the benefit of small and medium enterprises and even micro enterprises," said the ambassador.
The meeting was one of the ministerial gatherings of the 2026 APEC "China Year."
As the host of APEC in 2026, China will hold the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen of south China's Guangdong Province, from Nov 18 to 19. The APEC CEO Summit will be held on the sidelines of the meeting.
Int'l officials urge cooperation to address employment challenges at APEC ministers meeting
