IOM Evacuates Somalis from Yemen
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 21, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in close coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, this week conducted its first evacuation of Somali nationals stranded in Yemen back to Mogadishu. The flight left Sana'a on 17 May via Djibouti where IOM Djibouti team in collaborations with the authorities provided food and overnight accommodation at the airport lounge.
The flight then departed to Somalia the next day where theyarrived at the Aden Abdulle International Airport, Mogadishu at 15:45 pm local time on 18 May. The returnees were received by IOM Chief of Mission to Somalia, Gerard Waite, Somalia's First Lady, Sahra Omar Hassan, together with other officials from IOM, UNHCR,and the Federal Government of Somalia.
According to UNHCR as of December 2014, the estimated number of Somali refugees in Yemen was244,204. Monday's flight evacuated 95 Somali nationals,of whom two required urgent medical attention and were referred to the hospitalfor further treatment.
Upon arrival in Mogadishu, IOM provided returnees with reception assistancein terms of snacks, water, registration,and transit accommodation, and will further support vulnerable returnees with onward transportation and reinsertion assistance.
”Life was becoming unbearable in Sana'a, there was no electricity and water, food was scarce, security was a nightmare as you did not know when a bomb from high above would hit your house at night. It is better to be back home and we thank the Somali government and IOM for getting us back home” said Abdi Idle, one of the Somalia returnees from Yemen.
So far IOM Somalia, together with partners,has registered a total of 7,183spontaneous returneeswho arrived in Somalia from Yemen through different ports of entry in Somaliland and Puntland.
The Yemen Crisis has had a big impact on Somalia as the country is still recovering from over two decades of protracted conflict that left many citizens displaced.“IOM, together with partners and other humanitarian agencies in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, are working together to address the humanitarian needs of the families in Somalia who fled the Yemen conflict”said Gerard Waite, IOM Somalia Chief of Mission.
IOM Somalia continues to provide reception assistance including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, healthcare services and onward transportations to Somalis and third country nationals fleeing the crisis.