Local Editor
UN migration agency IOM has said that thousands of Ethiopian migrants’ lives are at risk in the country, after a planned returns program has been halted.
IOM is calling for help from the international community to get more than 2,300 Ethiopian migrants home from Yemen – including 150 women and 470 children.
Until now the migrants – who travel through Yemen to reach the Gulf States where they hope to find work – had been detained in two sports stadiums and a military camp without basic services, IOM reported.
Under a deal with the authorities, flights were due to begin at the weekend, but they have been delayed “until at least Wednesday”, IOM said.
“This delay threatens the safety of more than 2,300 migrants who continue to be held in conditions inconsistent with internationally-agreed standards, exposed to severe health and protection risks,” said Mohammed Abdiker, IOM Director of Operations and Emergencies in Geneva.
Earlier this month, IOM reported that at least 14 migrants detained in Lahj died following complications linked to acute watery diarrhea.
“Lives have been lost due to disease brought on by the appalling detention conditions and one young man, shot while detained, will likely never walk again," Mr. Abdiker insisted, adding that the flight delays “are putting thousands of migrants’ lives at further risk.
“We are urging the leaders of the Coalition and the Government of Yemen to urgently approve these flights, ensuring that all who need to go home do so with safety and dignity."
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
