16
April 2013 – Thousands of destitute migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia
are stranded in northern Yemen in deplorable conditions, victims of
gross physical abuse and severe economic and sexual exploitation, a
United Nations humanitarian official warned today, calling for urgent
action to address their plight.
“The international community
urgently needs to work with and support the Governments in the Horn of
Africa and the Gulf to strengthen the management of migration and
national borders, combat transnational organized crime and uphold
migrants’ human rights,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen Ismail
Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement.
“In a desperate attempt to
seek better livelihood opportunities, many migrants have suffered gross
physical abuse and severe economic and sexual exploitation. Many of
them, including children, are stranded under extremely difficult
circumstances. Their plight must be urgently addressed,” he added,
calling for financial support for humanitarian agencies providing aid.
Last
year a record 107,500 African refugees and migrants, mainly Ethiopians
and Somalis, made the dangerous journey in overcrowded boats to Yemen,
the largest influx since 2006 when the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) began compiling such statistics, in hope of finding a better life in the Arabian Peninsula.
In 2011, the UNHCR estimated that more than 100 migrants drowned or went missing en route.
Irregular
migrants are extremely vulnerable due to abuse and extortion by
smugglers and traffickers. Most migrants have no legal documents and
have limited access to livelihoods and basic services. Others fall prey
to traffickers.
About 22 per cent of those landing in Yemen are
women and girls. Many try to reach Saudi Arabia, but by the time they
reach Haradh City in northern Yemen, the majority of this vulnerable
group cannot be accounted for. Others suffer repeated sexual and
gender-based violence along the journey, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said.
Between
15,000 and 25,000 irregular migrants are stranded in and around Haradh
City in northern Yemen, while others are in Aden in the south. They
depend entirely on the generosity of local Yemenis and humanitarian
organizations such as the International Organization for Migration and
the Yemeni Red Crescent Society to cover basic food, medical and shelter
needs.
Humanitarian agencies have for years organized voluntary
flights for thousands of migrants in Yemen to return home. This is a
life-saving measure for those who have no other recourse, Mr. Mr. Ould
Cheikh Ahmed said, but in the long run, more sustainable solutions need
to be found involving all stakeholders.
Source: UN News Centre
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