According to UN estimates, nearly 100,000 people have fled Yemen since violence erupted there in March. Of those escaping the conflict, over 20,000 have sought refuge in the tiny East African nation of Djibouti, an authoritarian state located between Eritrea and Somalia seen as a beacon of stability in the region, largely due to its hosting of a US military base.
The Markazi refugee camp, located in the arid and dusty Obock region, plays host to many of those fleeing Yemen. Refugees can live in the tented camp, where the average June temperature varied between 111 and 122 degrees Fahrenheit (44 – 50 degrees Celsius). Otherwise they can pay cripplingly high rental costs for substandard living conditions in Djibouti City.
Following on from our coverage of the conflict in Aden, VICE News travels to Djibouti to discover the effects of the war on those forced to flee their homes and start anew.
