The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned on Friday of deteriorating humanitarian and security conditions for more than 65,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Yemen, due to escalating hostilities, worsening economic crisis, funding shortages, and restrictions on delivering humanitarian aid.
UN News quoted UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltermarsh, speaking at a press conference in Geneva, saying: "The ongoing conflict has not prevented thousands from risking the sea crossing from the Horn of Africa to Yemen, despite the deterioration of security and humanitarian conditions there." He noted that the Khraz refugee camp in Lahj Governorate, which houses approximately 9,500 refugees from Somalia and Ethiopia, faces increasing challenges due to shelling in adjacent areas that has disrupted services and restricted population movement.
Decline in services and family displacement
Saltermarsh explained that UNHCR partners were able to distribute food items within the camp in coordination with local authorities, while health services and water supplies continue amid growing difficulties, whereas other services such as education and legal services have stopped. He added that rising prices of fuel and basic commodities, along with restrictions on aid access, have driven an increasing number of families to leave Khraz camp and other areas in western Yemen, heading towards southern regions including Aden in search of security.
Maritime flows and supply disruptions
The UN spokesperson revealed that Yemen received more than 134,000 asylum seekers and migrants by sea during the first nine months of this year, while approximately 4,200 people left the country by sea towards Djibouti and Somalia since September. He warned that the conflict and attacks in the Gulf region, disruptions in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and instability around the Strait of Hormuz are increasing pressure on global supply chains.
Saltermarsh noted that the UNHCR secured support to transport 11 containers of emergency relief supplies free of charge from Dubai to Yemen, but security developments and logistical obstacles are hindering their delivery. This has forced relief agencies to modify shipping routes and use alternative ports including Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Sur, Salalah, and Jeddah, resulting in delays in aid arrival and increased transportation costs. He called for de-escalation and ensuring unhindered access for aid.
Yemen has been experiencing a protracted humanitarian crisis for years, leading to the decline of basic services and worsening living needs. Refugees and asylum seekers, particularly those from the Horn of Africa, face additional challenges regarding protection and access to services and aid, amid ongoing security and economic disturbances and the complexity of relief operations.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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