Aden (Al Ittihad)
Yesterday, the United Nations International Organization for Migration announced the arrival of 77,000 African migrants to Yemen during the first half of this year 2023, warning in a press release that these migrants would fall into the hands of smugglers, who then control every step of their journey.
Yemen suffers from a high number of African migrants, despite the internal displacement it faces due to the war that the Houthi group ignited since 2015, and caused the displacement of more than 4.5 million displaced people living in camps.
The statement stated that insecurity, arrest campaigns and forced transfers have led to the stranding of about 43,000 migrants across Yemen, warning that these migrants often fall into the hands of smugglers who then control every step of their journey.
In June, teams registered thousands of migrants seeking assistance to return to their countries of origin. These registrations have been temporarily suspended because the numbers of migrants seeking assistance far exceed the resources currently available to help them return.
In turn, Matt Hooper, Acting Chief of Mission for Yemen at the International Organization for Migration, said: “Despite the increasing numbers of migrants entering Yemen and the seriousness of the violations they face, people on the move remain largely invisible.”
“IOM is working alongside partners, donors and authorities to provide relief to stranded migrants, but the growing number of migrants requires much greater resources to respond,” Hooper added. According to the statement, the International Organization for Migration has helped 5,631 migrants, including 5,572 Ethiopians, to return to their homes voluntarily, a significant increase over previous years, so far this year.
The statement revealed that last June, the organization’s teams registered thousands of migrants who requested assistance to return to their countries of origin.
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