Surge in migration from Horn of Africa to Gulf states is alarming, UN warns

The number of women and children migrating from the Horn of Africa to the Gulf states has significantly increased and is a cause of concern, the head of the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned, citing climate change as the main driver of the increased migration.

The treacherous journey from Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia through Yemen, called the Eastern Migration Route, has seen a 64% increase in the past year, with people seeking better livelihoods and with larger numbers of women and children traveling alone, IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino said. In the past, women and children would often opt out of the dangerous journey through the desert mostly made on foot, with mainly men making the trek in the hope of finding jobs and sending money back to their families left behind at home.

But now, the numbers of migrants rise and hence “the pressure is mounting,” said the IOM chief who was in Kenya for the launch of a $84 million appeal to support more than 1 million migrants using the route through Yemen. The desperate migrants are vulnerable to criminal gangs along the route and need protection against rape, violence, traffickers and smugglers, he said. Some of the migrants are unaware of the dangers including the war in Yemen and the UN’s migration organization needs to improve awareness of the perils, Vitorino said. He also expressed hope that the factors contributing to increased migration, like climate change and conflict, can be addressed to reduce the number of people moving away from their homes.