Djibouti Records Major Migrant Inflows from Ethiopia—IOM

(MENAFN) More than 20,000 migrant movements from Ethiopia into Djibouti have been recorded since Sept. 10, while thousands of migrants remain stranded along hazardous routes across the country, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday.

Alexandre Coissac, the IOM chief of mission in Djibouti, told reporters in Geneva that migrants continue to use the Eastern Route, which links the Horn of Africa with Yemen and the Gulf and is considered one of the "busiest and most dangerous" migration corridors.

Djibouti is also seeing migrants travel back from Yemen toward their countries of origin, with the IOM registering 539 Ethiopian returnees since Sept. 10.

Between Sept. 20 and 30, more than 3,000 stranded migrants were identified along migration routes in Djibouti. Many were experiencing dehydration and exhaustion while also facing limited access to food and water.

The IOM warned that the growing use of secondary routes by migrants is making it increasingly difficult for aid teams to locate people in need of support.

The agency said it is delivering urgent assistance to stranded migrants, including food and water, while also supporting those who choose to return voluntarily.

Djibouti is simultaneously receiving people fleeing Yemen, alongside migrants traveling toward Yemen and others returning from the country. The IOM warned that the growing scale and complexity of these movements are placing increasing pressure on existing resources and services.

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