Global Needs Assessment

Yemen lies on a historical migration route linking the poverty-stricken and politically volatile Horn of Africa with the oil-rich countries of the Arabian Gulf. As a consequence, the country faces unique challenges. With the help of smuggling networks, thousands of people cross the Gulf of Aden each year fleeing conflict and poverty. Some are refugees escaping conflict while others are migrants in search of a better life.

This trend has persisted for almost two decades despite the perils of the voyage, the ruthlessness of the smugglers and a rising annual death toll. In the first nine months of 2008, almost 30,000 people had arrived in Yemen, while several hundred died or went missing during the voyage across the Gulf.

Country Operations Profile

Working environment

The context

Yemen lies along an ancient migration route that links the Horn of Africa, marked by poverty and political instability, and the oil rich countries of the Gulf. As a result, it faces unique challenges, characterized by continuous mixed migration and refugee flows. Every year some tens of thousands of people, mostly Somalis and Ethiopians, risk starvation, robbery, extortion, beatings, rape and even death during their journey across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen. They take these risks to escape conflict, violations of human rights, economic deprivation, drought and food shortages in their home countries.

The number of people crossing the Gulf of Aden increased significantly in 2008, with more than 32,000 making the crossing by September. The composition of the arrivals also appears to be changing; they now include more women. The estimated number of those who died or drowned during the crossing when forced overboard or when vessels capsized was more than 1,000 in 2007 and nearly 400 by mid-2008.

Yemen is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and has traditionally adopted an open-door policy towards Somalis, granting them prima facie refugee status. Some 82,000 Somali refugees are currently registered with UNHCR in Yemen, the majority of whom live in urban areas. Some 10,000 refugees live in the Kharaz camp. However, it is estimated that some 150,000 Somalis may currently be living in the country.

The Government of Yemen is concerned about the serious economic burden that hosting such a large number of refugees and asylum-seekers places on the country. The situation is aggravated by the presence of some 77,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) uprooted from their homes in northern Yemen by sectarian conflict. The humanitarian situation of these IDPs remains dire; UNHCR is supporting those with specific needs, particularly in shelter, and is seeking to improve their living conditions.

The needs

The most crucial needs are for basic humanitarian assistance and essential services, including food, shelter, health care, water and sanitation, as well as education for both refugees and IDPs. Extensive support is needed to ensure the successful integration of some Somali refugees in the urban areas of Basateen in southern Yemen. This support has to be provided to both the refugees and their host community. Other priority needs include creating a favourable refugee protection environment, which has to be built by helping the authorities increase their capacity to deal with refugee and asylum issues.

Main objectives

• Ensure effective protection for all refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs and others of concern, with particular attention to women and children.

• Strengthen the legal framework and institutional capacities for refugee protection and assistance.

• Enhance the Government's capacity to discharge its international obligations.

• Provide basic humanitarian assistance and services to refugees, asylum-seekers and IDPs in camps, urban areas and IDP settlement areas.

• Maximize refugees' self-reliance to increase their livelihood opportunities.

• Facilitate voluntary repatriation whenever possible in safety and dignity.

• Use resettlement as a strategic protection tool and a durable solutions option.

• Implement the 10-Point Plan of Action in response to mixed migration.

• Improve reception facilities and assistance for new arrivals in protection, transportation, registration and basic needs.

Key targets

Annual programme

• Some 30,000 new arrivals are transported to reception centres and Kharaz camp.

• 750 refugees are resettled in third countries.

• All survivors of sexual and gender-based violence receive support.

• Six refugee registration centres are fully functional and all refugee documents updated.

• Some 1,000 refugees are assisted to repatriate voluntarily.

• Some 550 shelter units are maintained or repaired and refugee reception facilities are expanded.

• At least 90 per cent of refugee children are enrolled in school.

• The camp population is provided with adequate quantities of food and safe drinking water, primary health care and non-food items.

• Income generating opportunities are increased for refugees in the camp and urban areas.

Supplementary programmes

• A new reception centre is established on the Red Sea coast and existing reception facilities are upgraded.

• All arrivals have access to 20 litres of safe drinking water per day.

• Kharaz camp is extended; public health facilities on the coast are helped to cope with the large number of new arrivals.

• Shelter is provided to 2,000 people.

• 500 standard shelters are built for vulnerable IDPs.

• Emergency tents are provided to 1,000 families in areas of displacement and return. Shelter materials are provided for the construction and repair of 750 houses for returnees with specific needs.

• Some 200 IDP families with specific needs benefit from small business training.

Strategy and activities

UNHCR's operation in Yemen is focused on providing protection within the framework of the 10-Point Plan of Action designed to protect refugees in mixed migration movements. The Office will also focus on building the capacity of national asylum structures and developing national refugee legislation to ensure that refugee protection is implemented in accordance with international standards.

The Office will continue to encourage greater burden sharing by the international community to address mixed migration movements and the situation of IDPs in the north of the country.

Constraints

The ongoing conflict in the Horn of Africa makes repatriation unlikely for the majority of Somalis. Other durable solution options are also limited. The sheer size of the mixed migration movements, coupled with the absence of national legislation or strategies to address these, are major constraints for UNHCR's programme in Yemen.

Organization and implementation

Coordination

UNHCR operation is implemented in collaboration with the Government of Yemen and supported by UN agencies and NGOs. Food rations are supplied to all refugees in the Kharaz camp by WFP. Efforts to address refugee needs within the Common Country Assessment and UN Development Assistance Framework are ongoing. The UN/NGO country team in Yemen is currently considering the Delivering as One initiative as a framework for community assistance.

Financial information

From 2000 to 2006, UNHCR's Annual Programme Budget averaged USD 4 million. In response to the protection and assistance gaps in the country, UNHCR increased its budget and activities to USD 5.9 million in 2007, and to USD 12 million in 2008. Nonetheless, the resources are not enough to meet basic protection and assistance needs. UNHCR intends to double its activities on behalf of refugees in 2009 as a result of the Global Needs Assessment initiative. Activities related to new arrivals of Somali refugees are presented under the supplementary programme for the Somalian Situation