The accumulated total number of refugees and migrants to make it from the Horn of Africa to Yemen is at a record high of 84,656. It has been reported by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that numbers are expected to grow even further by the end of this year. The majority of refugees have come from Ethiopia, and have since 2009 constituted as the "largest group among those to cross the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden." Sailing patterns have shifted significantly over the years due to increase in traffic on the Red Sea. With more frequent boat arrivals, more refugees are able to seek safety and opportunities on Yemen grounds. However, leaving their countries by no means guarantee them an abundance of freedom. There is concern regarding the increasing trend of abductions, extortions, kidnappings, and sexual assaults directed at refugees, particularly Ethiopian migrants. Yemen is to host more than 200,491 Somalian refugees and 445,679 displaced Yemeni civilians are to be displaced throughout the country.
--Georisa Chang
SOURCE: UN News Center
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