The number of people crossing the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea in mixed migration flows to Yemen has nearly halved during the first quarter of 2010 in comparison with the same period in 2009.
In 2010, some 9,400 people reached the shores of Yemen in the first three months after setting off from countries in the Horn of Africa. This compares to nearly 17,000 between January and March last year.
ISÆR SOMALIERE
The largest drop is registered in the number of Somali arrivals. Some 3,200 Somali refugees arrived in Yemen this year, about a third of the number that crossed in the first quarter of 2009.
Today, Somali refugees represent every third new arrival in Yemen.
During the same period in 2009, Somalis accounted for more than half of all the new arrivals by sea.
Somali arrivals are automatically recognized as refugees in Yemen and the country hosts more than 170,000 Somali refugees.
IKKE MERE SIKKERHED I SOMALIA
However, the drop in the number of Somali arrivals has not been driven by an improvement in the security situation within the country.
Many Somali civilians are daily forced to flee their homes to escape waves of fighting between government forces and militias.
Somali refugees reaching Yemen claim that those fleeing the fighting face increasing difficulties in reaching Bossaso in northern Somalia, where they wait for a chance to board smugglers’ boats sailing for Yemen.
They cite general insecurity as the main reason deterring their movements towards the north.
In addition, they say that more and more people simply have no means to pay for the trip to Puntland (Selvproklameret republik, red.)
BEGRÆNSER STRØMMEN
The refugees also report that Puntland authorities are trying to stem the human trafficking and they add that a large number of new arrivals are waiting in Bossaso for the chance to reach Yemen.
UNHCR teams in northern Somalia continue to assist the displaced population. In addition, information campaigns warn about the risks involved in making the sea crossing.
There are an estimated 1.4 million internally displaced people in Somalia while nearly 570,000 Somalis live as refugees in neighbouring countries.
