Dozens of African immigrants killed in Aden Gulf [Archives:2006/984/Local News]
ADEN, Sept. 24 )Tens of African illegal immigrants, who passed through Aden Gulf into Yemen, were killed by their traffickers according to a UN High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman. This was declared in Geneva last Friday when he said traffickers killed the African infiltrators and threw them in the sea.
UNHCR spokesman, Roon Redmond, mentioned that since the beginning of September, 35 Africans died while being in a risky voyage to Yemen on board boats, which are usually overloaded. Meanwhile a report said that 53 Africans still are missing.
Redmond added nearly 2143 people from Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan were on their way to Yemen. He confirmed that approximately 100 Africans arrive in Yemen territory on a daily basis between April and September, and this period is described by the UNHCR as the “trafficking season” in Aden Gulf when the weather becomes mild.
Survivors said some of their companions were beaten to death with wood and iron sticks while others died when the boats capsized.
According to UNHCR scores, there are over 88 thousand refugees registered in Yemen, of whom 84 thousand are Somalis.
Yemen's Ministry of Human Rights announced that the number of African immigrants in Yemen exceeds 750 thousand and UNHCR did not support them nor did it register these refugees in need of help in its lists. Consequently, Yemen faces difficulty meeting basic needs of such large numbers of African refugees.
Kharaz Camp in Lahj governorate involves tens of African refugees while the majority of them are scattered in different Yemeni cities, have no work and lack legal protection. Most the African refugees in the Yemeni cities have no access to health care or education.
“The annual budge of UNHCR is large, but most of the budget is spent on travel allowances for people in charge of the commissioner in Yemen. Consequently, NUHCR doesn't pay attention to refugees and their basic needs,” an observer commented on the UNHCR situation.
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