Recent changes in Saudi foreign workers legislation and their resumption of fencing the 1,800 km border with Yemen have exacerbated the situation of an already overflowing population of destitute migrants stranded in Haradh, at the border with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Concurrently, the Yemeni military authorities have resumed raids on smugglers’ camps in Haradh and elsewhere; as of 8 April, hundreds of abused and hungry migrants have been released from the hands of smugglers and are now in urgent need of shelter, food, water and health care.
The migrants freed from the smugglers’ camps are currently accommodated at three locations: the Military camp at Al Tuwal border, a purpose build tent next to the detention centre in Amran, and in the open air in the Immigration, Passport and Naturalization Authority (IPNA) centre in Sana’a.
These facilities’ food and sanitary conditions are severely lacking adequate food, water and sanitary facilities. Among those released, the proportion of women and is greater than that recorded among the stranded migrants in Haradh.
IOM, MSF, WFP and the Yemeni Red Crescent are currently providing emergency food, health care, clothing and WASH assistance to the migrants accommodated at these locations, and transferring serious cases to the various hospitals. Many among the migrants freed from smugglers’ captivity present clear evidence of torture and trauma.