The UN Refugee Agency needs to be more creative in responding to the needs of Somali refugees in Yemen.

Overview
Yemen is one of the least developed countries in the world, ranking 153rd in the Human Development Index. In the past few years the arrival of large numbers of Ethiopian and Somali migrants and asylum seekers has further jeopardized the economy and stability of the country. A country of geo-strategic importance, linking the Middle East with the Horn of Africa, Yemen shoulders a heavy burden which the international community and UN agencies should do more to alleviate, for both humanitarian and security reasons.

Current Humanitarian Situation
Thousands of Somalis have tried to reach Yemen in the past few years, fleeing conflict and poverty. The journey is dangerous and includes crossing the Gulf of Aden from the Somali port of Bossaso: a grueling 36-hour boat journey which many don’t survive. In the first 9 months of 2008, more than 33,000 attempted the crossing.

UNHCR expanded its presence in Yemen after the collapse of the central Somali government in 1991. It estimates that there are now between 200,000 and 250,000 Somalis in Yemen, although the government of Yemen believes the figure to be much higher.

Upon arrival, refugees in Yemen are given a stark choice: either be taken to the Kharaz refugee camp in the middle of the desert or make it on their own in Yemeni cities. Most opt not to go to the camp, as living conditions are extremely difficult and the possibilities for local integration are absent. Many choose to work in Yemen or in other Arab Gulf countries, often falling prey to smuggling networks. Others swell the ranks of the urban poor in the Safia neighborhood of Sana’a or in Basatin, a neighborhood slum in Aden.

Action Needed
UNHCR Yemen should address the needs of urban refugees and favor local integration over camp settlement.