African migrants stranded in Yemen face growing humanitarian crisis

African migrants stranded in Yemen are facing a growing humanitarian crisis, the International Organization for Migration is warning.

Every year, thousands of migrants take the risky journey from the Horn of Africa, across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen, hoping to travel on to the Gulf States.

But once they arrive, they are stranded in what’s become a growing humanitarian crisis.

"I was trying to cross into Saudi Arabia, but now the border is heavily guarded," says Ethiopian migrant Abdulaziz Mohammed.

"The military has closed the border, and the police have tightened security there. We cannot cross, so I am here in Yemen. We have no place to stay. We look for food on the streets and sleep under the trees.”

Before Yemen’s 2011 uprising, the country hosted more than a million African refugees - most of them from Ethiopia and Somalia.

But Yemen has since been mired in its own humanitarian crisis, after more than a decade of civil war.

Migrants are often subject to abuse, kidnapping and forced recruitment by local militia, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"Migrants in Yemen face many risks, including human trafficking, exploitation, detention, violence and various forms of abuse," says Mohamad Hatoum, programme manager for protection at the IOM.

"Many of them rely on smuggling networks to facilitate their movement, which exposes them to harm and risks that are not limited to crossing borders, but continue to affect them throughout the entire journey.”

Between 100,000 to 200,000 migrants reach Yemen every year, putting an additional burden on a country where half the population is in need of humanitarian assistance.

"There are major economic, political, geographical and security challenges resulting from this migration," says Mansour Al-Jaradi, a humanitarian aid activist.

"In Yemen specifically, because of the war and the difficult economic situation, there are certainly additional burdens on the host country. We all know the situation we have reached, with international organisations absent and no aid available for internally displaced people. So they undoubtedly represent an additional burden.”

Unable to continue their journey or return home, the migrants are trapped in a humanitarian crisis worsened by depleting aid supplies.