ReliefWeb

Foreword from the Regional Director

Welcome to another edition of IOM’s regional bulletin for the East and Horn of Africa.

The months of February and March have been sad ones for IOM. In February, we were extremely saddened at the untimely passing of Patrick Sworo, a South Sudanese national who had worked as a Database Officer with IOM Burundi’s DTM team since October 2018. Described by colleagues as “always quick to smile or offer a kind word”, Patrick will be remembered for his gentle heart and strong commitment to serving the people of Burundi. While in March, a young IOM staff member,
Anne-Katrin Feigl - described by colleagues as committed and professional - was among those who perished when a Nairobi bound Ethiopian airlines plane crashed killing all the 157 people on board. Ms. Feigl, a German national worked as a Junior Professional Officer under the Better Migration Management programme. At least 22 UN staff were among the dead. Both Patrick and AnneKatrin were highly respected for their work and commitment. Our heartfelt condolences go to their families and loved ones.
On another sad note, the sinking of an overcrowded boat off the coast of Djibouti on 29 January resulted in the death of dozens of migrants. The accident occurred near Godoria in the Obock region, north-east of Djibouti. This hit home hard and was the latest tragedy from the Horn of Africa, highlighting that the region is not immune to tragedies of this nature. Indeed, the deadly passage of Africans to the Arabian Peninsula remains of concern to us.
Since the tragedy, the IOM office in Djibouti has reported receiving more requests from migrants seeking to voluntarily return to their home countries, mostly to neighbouring Ethiopia. Through the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration in the Horn of Africa, IOM is working with authorities to assist these migrants, most of who are Ethiopian. In addition, IOM facilitated the return of Ethiopian migrants from Puntland. This comes amid an increase in the number of Ethiopians moving to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Also, in January, some 350 Ethiopians stranded in Yemen were assisted to return home under IOM’s Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) flight operation. The group was among an estimated 3,000 migrants that IOM plans to assist through VHR in 2019. Yemen might be going through a devastating conflict but its proximity to the Horn of Africa means it remains a significant transit point for migrants seeking new livelihood opportunities. We expect mixed migration flows to Yemen to continue in 2019, underlining the importance of IOM’s Regional Migrant Response Plan for the Horn of Africa and Yemen.
Meanwhile, IOM is also continuing with relief efforts for internally displaced persons in Ethiopia.
According to the IOM DTM, there were some 2.3 million IDPs in Ethiopia as at December 2018.
On a different note, I would like to congratulate the government of South Sudan for collaborating with IOM in a bid to finalize the country’s first ever migration policy that will enhance its capacity to manage its borders while also protecting the rights of migrants. South Sudan is both a destination for many migrants and a transit country on the route to North Africa.
In Burundi, IOM is continuing to provide emergency shelter and non-food items in support of internally displaced persons along with Burundian refugees returning from the United Republic of Tanzania. This support will benefit some 13,000 people. In January, the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix team identified some 134,000 IDPs in Burundi. This is a reduction from nearly 200,000 a few years ago.
We look forward to continuing to provide both development and humanitarian support to migrants in the region in collaboration with member states and our development partners.
Once again, thank you for the enduring support.