Yemen: African Immigrants Experience Complicated Circumstances of both being Targeted and Interpersonal Conflict

The African immigrants live a tragic situation in Yemen, the country that experiences an open war along with economic and humanitarian deterioration since years.

 

The immigrants’ suffering moved from humanitarian situation into a killing interpersonal dispute. They have moved the religious and sectarian conflict from their countries into Yemen, especially that immigrants coming from Ethiopia.

 

Protesting and Killing

 

Since last week, areas at Aden and Lahj provinces, southern Yemen, live an escalating wave of clashes between the Ethiopian immigrants themselves, due to disputes broke out between two factions, that generated dead and wounded.

 

The protests of the African immigrants, descending from Amhara region of Ethiopia, started last Thursday in Aden city against the deteriorating living conditions, demanding to return to their homeland, according to International Organization for Migration and AFP photographer.

 

AFP quoted the International Organization for Migration saying: “Immigrants from Amhara region who want to return home are protesting against the suspension of return (voluntary) operations to Amhara”.

 

But those demands were later transformed into armed clashes among tens of African illegal immigrants coming from Ethiopia. Those clashes got extended, last Friday, to reach Saber area in Tuban of the neighbouring Lahj province.

 

Local sources told “Almawqea Post” correspondent that the bloody fight broke out on Friday and the African immigrants in their fight used daggers and sticks, that caused many wounded.

 

Residents at Saber area of Lahj, southern Yemen, launched an appeal to seize hundreds of Africans that poses a threat for the region and residents security.

 

Those clashes at Lahj came after hours from other army clashes at Aden city, that generated 3 immigrants dead and about 13 wounded that were transferred to the governorate hospitals for treatment.

 

Video clips, circulated by Yemeni activists, shown gatherings of dozens of African immigrants in Aden and Lahj, carrying sticks.

 

Transportation Difficulties

 

The International Organization for Migration said that it supported about six thousand immigrants, since the beginning of the year, among them are unaccompanied children, to return them safely to Ethiopia through facilitating the humanitarian voluntary return trips. 

 

The Organization indicated that it’s now “unable to facilitate the return to Amhara due to the conflict” between the Ethiopian Army and local fighters, that caused at least 183 dead since July, according to UN.

 

Further Loads

 

Those clashes add further loads on the Yemeni Government that faces complicated economic circumstances, during a turbulent security situation due to popular protests at streets against the economic situation and lack of services.

 

It’s worthy to say that Yemen represented a target for African immigrants that flocking to its coasts and cities during the last years, despite the deteriorated situation at the country, since more than a decade, due to the current war and the external interference that causes a deep state of fragmentation and chaos.

 

Immigrants consider Yemen as a starting point towards oil-rich Gulf countries, and the European cities. That trip is not without being exposed to several violations and abuses that sometimes leads to death.

 

Conflicts Victims

 

The African immigrants in Yemen suffer of being targeted from most of the conflict parties, among of which the external ones. Human Rights Watch revealed, days ago, alarming reports of African immigrants being exposed to direct killing operations by the Saudi forces at the boarder line between Yemen and KSA.

 

On 7th of March 2021, a fire broke out at an African immigration detention centre at Sana’a caused dozens of deaths and injuries. This was happen after Houthi forces shelling fire against that immigrants while was protesting for improving their living conditions, as per Human Rights Watch.

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