Yemen Humanitarian Update: Issue 8, August 2023 [EN/AR]

HIGHLIGHTS

Floods in Yemen: Impact, Humanitarian Response, and Ongoing Challenges P 02

Responding to climate-related needs P 03

Amid Ongoing Needs, Extensive Consultations to Inform Our Response P 04

Yemen Commemorates World Humanitarian Day by renewing relief agencies’ commitment towards those in need P 06

As living conditions in Yemen worsen, more Somali refugees choose to return home P 07

SITUATION UPDATE: MIGRANTS

Migrants remain one of the most marginalized and vulnerable groups in Yemen. They are at grave risk of exploitation, including by groups engaged in smuggling and trafficking.
Migrants are exposed to many dangers on their journeys including drowning, starvation, and targeted violence.

The August 2023 Human Rights Watch report on the risks Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers face on their perilous journey highlights the grave abuses faced by many migrants and asylum seekers.

Recently, in Aden, clashes amongst migrants underscored a key issue: the frustration and desperation of many migrants living in dire circumstances who wish to return home after being unaware of the protection and conflict related risks they face because of the deception of smugglers and traffickers.

Thousands of migrants travel from the Horn of Africa, mainly Ethiopia and Somalia, to Yemen yearly. Thus far in 2023, over 90,000 migrants have arrived in Yemen, surpassing the figures of last year when approximately 73,000 arrived to the country’s shores.1 Many take this journey to escape destitution and hope to find better economic opportunities in Gulf countries. Unfortunately, most do not anticipate the challenges they will face in Yemen. Upon arrival, many struggle to access essential public services, including health care and protection, and are subject to high levels of stigma and discrimination.
Insecurity, smuggling and trafficking, and forced transfers have contributed to approximately 43,000 migrants being left stranded across the country.

Voluntary Humanitarian Return flights remain the only safe pathway home for stranded migrants in Yemen. As current demands exceed the resources to respond, the most vulnerable, such as children and victims of trafficking, are prioritized.

Ultimately, the primary responsibility for protecting all people in a state territory, including migrants, remains with the state.
The UN’s role is to support and complement where the state is unable or unwilling to fulfill this responsibility.

In Aden, the UN liaised with the authorities to advocate for the release of migrants being held on the street outside International Organization for Migration (IOM) premises.
Across Yemen, the IOM provides migrants with specialised protection services and lifesaving health services and assistance to meet their basic needs. It also continues to advocate for the protection, dignity and rights of these extremely vulnerable individuals who require urgent support and assistance after often being caught in unanticipated lifethreatening situations a long way from their homes.