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Add to Preferred SourcesAn estimated 113,000 vulnerable migrants are in transit or stranded in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen in need of life-saving assistance, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.
“Migrants undertaking these journeys do so in search of a better life for themselves and their families,” said Mohammed Abdiker, IOM’s Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa.
Last month IOM and its partners updated the Regional Migrant Response Plan for the Horn of Africa and Yemen (RMRP) 2018-2020, seeking to raise USD 54 million to assist those in need.
The RMRP is a humanitarian and development strategy to assist vulnerable migrants from the Horn of Africa who are moving to, transiting through and returning from Yemen.
Many on the perilous journey are exploited and abused as they attempt to reach Gulf countries in search of work.
“Migrants on the route to Yemen are among some of the most vulnerable. Meeting the humanitarian needs of this population must remain a priority for the international community,” he added.
IOM estimates that by the end of the year 160,000 migrants will have entered Yemen by sea from points in the Horn of Africa.
Nearly 130,000 migrants are expected to return home to the region from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the same period. The Organization provides post-arrival assistance to many of the returnees.
The October 2019 update to the RMRP reflects updated priorities for partners in each of the target countries. These include providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to stranded migrants in Yemen, ensuring adequate protection for unaccompanied children, and scaling-up assistance to the thousands of vulnerable migrants returning from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Horn of Africa.
In all, 17 partners in the four target countries – including UN agencies and NGOs – work in coordination to provide a comprehensive humanitarian and protection response to vulnerable migrants on the eastern route to Yemen. The RMRP’s target population includes children, the elderly, victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence, and other vulnerable migrants.
Original source: IOM
Published on 05 November 2019