In Yemen, DRC works on the Red Sea coastline in partnership with the Yemen Red Crescent to receive people arriving on the shores of Yemen, mostly Somalis and Ethiopians. It also undertakes registration of the newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers on the Gulf of Aden and provides them with basic assistance.

DRC works in close collaboration with the Government of Yemen and the local authorities in five governorates (Ta’iz, Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Shabwa), the Yemen Red Crescent, UNHCR, non- governmental organizations and the local communities in a bid to deliver better and professional humanitarian services for refugees and asylum seekers in the country.

Floods and heavy rains that affected eastern Yemen and the coastal areas in October 2008 resulted in one of the most serious natural disasters in Yemen in the last decades. Flash floods and running waters killed at least 73 people and forced an additional 20,000 to 25,000 people into displacement. The flooding and consequences such as loss of livelihoods impacted an estimated 650,000 people as water caused extensive damage to the local agriculture and honey production, washing away crops, palm trees and soil from the fields.

Besides this natural catastrophe, Yemen faces challenges related to the yearly arrival of thousands of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants from the Horn of Africa. While some flee war and persecution, others look for economic opportunities in the Gulf States and beyond. Some 50,000 people arrived on the coast of Yemen in 2008 alone.

Donors and partners: DANIDA; EU, EC, UNHCR……