from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – AID agencies have requested funding to the tune of US$81 million to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to over 1 million migrants in the Horn of Africa, Yemen and Southern Africa.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and 45 humanitarian and development partners are appealing for funding to assist the victims and the communities that host them in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya and Yemen.
The funding request, appealed for from Nairobi, falls under the Migrant Response Plan for the Horn of Africa to Yemen and Southern Africa (MRP), coordinated by IOM.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants embark each year on dangerous irregular journeys, primarily from Ethiopia and Somalia, aiming to reach Gulf nations including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via Djibouti and Yemen.
On another route, migrants travel through Kenya, Tanzania, and other Southern African nations, with the hope of reaching South Africa.
“Every day, countless women, men and children face deadly risks along the Eastern and Southern migration routes in Africa,” said Amy Pope, IOM’s Director General.
The official said without immediate support for migrants and the communities that host them, suffering would deepen, tensions would rise, and life-saving aid would remain out of reach.
“The time to act is now—we must step up to protect lives, strengthen protection systems, and tackle the root causes of displacement.”
Last year 446 000 movements were tracked along the Eastern Route, 10 percent of which were by children, according to the IOM Regional Data Hub for East, Horn and Southern Africa.
According to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, at least 559 people lost their lives along the Eastern and Southern routes in 2024.
– CAJ News