UN: More than 4,000 Ethiopian migrants stranded in Yemen return home this year

The International Organization for Migration announced that more than 4,000 Ethiopian migrants stranded in Yemen have returned to their country through voluntary return flights during the current year.

“For many Ethiopian migrants, Yemen is a gateway to better opportunities, despite the challenges the country faces,” the organization said in a recent report released on Sunday. “In 2024, more than 10,000 migrants attempted the journey to Yemen, ignoring the difficult living conditions and risks they face.”

Migrants cross to Yemen via high-risk sea voyages, from where they travel by land to Saudi Arabia to work and improve their living conditions, but many of them are stranded in Yemen amid difficult security and living conditions.

“The stranded migrants, most of whom are Ethiopians, are waiting months or even years for a chance to return home. Voluntary humanitarian return flights from Yemen are a lifeline for many, who face serious security challenges, lack of basic needs and abuse,” the organization added.

“In 2024 alone, IOM helped more than 4,000 Ethiopian migrants safely return home,” she continued.

The organization indicated that it regularly organizes voluntary humanitarian return trips in cooperation with the authorities, and provides migrants with the necessary travel documents, medical examinations, awareness sessions, basic travel bags, food and accommodation at the center before departure.