Geneva (KAAB TV) –
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), along with 48 other humanitarian and development organizations and governments, has urgently requested USD 112 million to assist more than 2.1 million migrants and communities. East and south, hosts include Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, Kenya, and the Republic of Tanzania.
The financial announcement was made at a donor conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 16.
The request follows a tragic event that occurred last week off the coast of Djibouti, in which 38 migrants, including children, died after the boat they were travelling in sank after leaving Yemen.
“Last week’s tragedy is yet another uncomfortable awakening,” said Ugochi Daniels, the IOM’s Deputy Director-General for Operations. “The humanitarian, protection, and development needs of migrants along the eastern and southern migration corridors demand special attention.”
Every year, tens of thousands of migrants migrate from the Horn of Africa, especially from Ethiopia and Somalia, to seek work in the Gulf countries via the ‘Eastern route’ to Africa, in order to reach South Africa via the ‘Southern route’. Every year, hundreds of thousands of migrants are recorded travelling over these routes. In 2023, there were 480,000 movements registered.
Migrants often risk dehydration, starvation, and human rights violations, including sexual abuse and exploitation by smugglers and traffickers.
As of December 2023, 46 percent of individuals arriving in Yemen were women and children, with approximately 20% of unaccompanied minors travelling via the ‘Eastern route’. It was identified by the ‘Southern’ route, which led to destinations such as South Africa.
This initiative is part of the ‘Horn of Africa Migration Response Plan for Yemen and Southern Africa, 2024’, which includes life-saving assistance, protection services, voluntary repatriation, addressing the root causes of migration, promoting sustainable integration and livelihood opportunities, and encouraging cooperation and coordination.
Despite the early appeal, the proposal is well-funded, highlighting the crucial need for assistance.