Djibouti faces ‘overlapping emergencies’ as Yemen’s refugee exodus continues

More than 3,700 refugees have reached the Horn of Africa nation in the past three weeks after a dangerous crossing of the Red Sea, said Alexandre Coissac, head of IOM’s mission in the country, briefing journalists in Geneva by video link. 

At the same time, IOM has recorded more than 20,000 journeys made from Ethiopia since 10 September, as migrants on the east African route continue to head for Yemen, in the hopes of finding work in the Gulf.  

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

“Djibouti is therefore confronting movement in both directions: people fleeing Yemen are arriving as refugees, migrants continue travelling towards Yemen, and other migrants are returning,” Mr. Coissac said. 

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

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

The agency is providing food and water and helping those who request assisted voluntary return – but migrants are increasingly using secondary routes, making them harder to reach. 

He said most migrants bound for Yemen were unaware of the grave situation as fighting between Government and Houthi forces intensifies, and that many aim to reach Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States. 

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

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

Meanwhile, news outlets on Tuesday reported that Yemen’s Saudi-backed Government forces say they have re-taken control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, at the mouth of the Red Sea, after launching a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis who control much of Yemen, including the capital.