Djibouti faces ‘overlapping emergencies’ as the exodus of Yemeni refugees continues

More than 3,700 refugees have reached the Horn of Africa country in the last three weeks after the dangerous crossing of the Red Sea, said Alexandre Coissac, head IOMmission in the country, briefing journalists in Geneva via video link.

At the same time, the IOM has taken note more than 20,000 journeys have been made from Ethiopia since September 10, while migrants via east African routes continue towards Yemenin the hope of finding work in the Gulf.

Another 539 Ethiopian migrants have arrived from Yemen on their way home.

“Therefore, so does Djibouti facing movement in both directions: people fleeing Yemen arrive as refugees, migrants continue to travel towards Yemen, and other migrants return,” Coissac said.

Between September 20 and 30, more than 3,000 migrants were stranded along migration routes in Djibouti, facing dehydration, exhaustion and lack of food and water.

Coissac said IOM had received reports of migrants dying in the desert near the border with Ethiopia.

The agency provides food and water and helps those who ask for help to return voluntarily – but an increasing number of migrants are using secondary routes, making them harder to reach.

He said most of the migrants heading to Yemen were those who had departed unaware of the serious situation as fighting between the government and Houthi forces escalatedand many of them aim to reach Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.

Djiboutian authorities have responded quickly, he said, but the scale and complexity of the needs is straining resources. He called for more support for new arrivals, migrants in distress and host communities in Obock.

“The country is now responding to people moving in different directions, for different reasons, but often facing the same reality: they need safety, protection and basic assistance,” he said.

Meanwhile, news outlets on Tuesday reported that Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces said they had taken back control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, at the mouth of the Red Sea, after launching a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthi group that controls much of Yemen, including the capital.