Record High Migration to Yemen

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

Three Women Received The Nobel Peace Prize For 2011

Last Friday was a good day for women empowerment as this year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to three women for their nonviolent role in promoting peace, democracy and gender equality. These women are President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, the first woman to be elected President in modern Africa, her countrywoman Leymah Gbowee, who is a peace activist, and Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, a pro-democracy campaigner.

These women were acknowledged for their outstanding contribution in bringing change for good in their respective nations. Thorbjorn Jagland, a former Norwegian prime minister who heads the Oslo-based Nobel committee read the citation in announcing the winners, “We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society.”

These three women were the first to win the prize in 7 years since Wangari Maathai of Kenya won in 2004. Jagland also described the prize as “a very important signal to women all over the world.” Most of the recipients in the award’s 110-year history have been men, so this award will inspire women all over the world to fight for their rights and causes.

Congratulations to these wonderful women for their excellent win!

-Nisha Noor

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

Back to School Campaign in Yemen Targets 500,000 Children

A recently implemented "Back to School" campaign in Yemen is working to make education a priority, sending 500,000 Yemeni children to school. The campaign is the result of collaboration between Yemen's Ministry of Education and various international development agencies, including UNICEF, Save the Children, and CHF International.

Currently in Yemen, over one quarter of school-aged children do not attend classes regularly. This is due to a number of factors, including armed conflicts between the Yemeni government and opposition groups. This has resulted in a number of internally displaced families within Yemen.

This campaign is an important step for Yemen toward Millennium Development Goal 2, universal education for the world's children. “Education is one of the most critical contributions to peacebuilding,” said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Representative in Yemen. “Many children in Yemen have been deprived of education for too long because of the conflict, and we welcome the commitment from all sides to actively contribute to the success of this campaign.”

-Elizabeth Newton

SOURCE: UN News Centre, UNICEF Press Centre