Yemen – Desperate Africans seek better life in Aden but find more jeopardy

Location: Aden – Yemen

Language: Arabic

Duration: 00:03:06

Voice: Natural

Source: A24 in Aden

Restriction: A24 subscribers

Date: 07/06/2022

Storyline:

Tens of thousands of desperately poor African migrants continue to cross into Yemen’s southern port city of Aden.

Yemen has long been a transit point for migrants and refugees from East Africa, many of whom are fleeing hunger and violence.

The refugees make the dangerous journey despite Yemen’s civil war that crippled the economy and drove millions of people to the brink of famine.

Many Africans try to cross from Aden into other countries while others take the war-torn city a permanent place of residence, despite poor living conditions there.

The International Organization for Migration (OIM) reported that an estimated sixteen thousand migrants entered Yemen in 2021 down from thirty-two thousand in 2020.

African migrant woman Shukria Ahmed told A24 News Agency’s reporter Salah that they find nothing to eat or drink, adding that the monthly salaries provided by OIM are delayed for two or three months.          

Imad Sinan, Director of the Office of the Ministry of Human Rights, also spoke to A24 and said the increasing numbers of migrants becomes a heavy burden on Yemen’s government and people. 

Shot list:

Soundbite (Shukria Ahmed – African migrant woman):

“The organization brought us here. We have nothing to eat or drink. When it rains, we are afraid that our cardboard houses will collapse. My brothers are sick. We do not receive any support from the organization. The monthly salaries provided by the organization are delayed for two or three months.”

Soundbite (Imad Sinan – Director of the Office of the Ministry of Human Rights):

“The number of refugees in Yemeni ports is increasing day by day. This has a negative impact on the country and represents an additional burden on the Yemeni government, which cannot support them because of the war and the difficult conditions the country is going through. They (the migrants) are everywhere, in the streets, and in residential areas “.