The Horn of Africa and Yemen is one of the busiest and riskiest migration corridors in the world travelled by hundreds of thousands of migrants, the majority of whom travel in an irregular manner, often relying on smugglers to facilitate movement along the Eastern Route. This regional report provides monthly updates on the complex migratory dynamics through Djibouti, Somalia, Yemen and Ethiopia based on diverse data sources and consultations with key informants in the four countries. Moreover, it provides information on the main protection concerns for migrants along the journey, information on the spillover effects of the conflict in the Sudan observed at the border with Ethiopia, a specific focus on children and information on the returns from Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen.

In response to the Somalia’s severe drought beginning in November 2021, DTM Somalia launched an Emergency Trends Tracking (ETT) tool first in Gedo and Bay regions in 2022, and subsequently in Hiraan, Banadir and Middle Shabelle regions in 2023 to monitor drought related displacement trends and hotspots in support of operational planning. However, during the first half of 2023, conflict and flooding displacements have been significant. Therefore, DTM restructured its ETT tool to capture multi-shock displacements (drought, flood, conflict and other) from October 2023.

ETT is a crisis-based tool that tracks sudden displacement triggered by specific events or emerging crises. The objective of ETT is to help prioritize humanitarian response and to enable partners to deliver rapid assistance.

Cantons: Liberia, Los Chiles, San Carlos, Heredia, Alajuela, Cartago, San José y Corredores.

Costa Rica, like the other countries in the Central American region, has been characterized as a migratory corridor for people who transit by land from the south to the north of America and whose destination is the countries in the north of the continent. This flow on the move through the Americas is mainly made up of people from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, Ecuador, as well as people from other countries in South America, Africa and Asia.

According to estimations from IOM Costa Rica, during October 51,248 people entered the country, an average of 1,653 people per day and estimating a decrease of 31% compared to September 2023. In addition, 2,389 people stranded in the monitored shelters were identified and 4,883 people stranded in the public places visited.

Cantones: Liberia, Los Chiles, San Carlos, Heredia, Alajuela, Cartago, San José y Corredores.

Costa Rica, al igual que los demás países de la región centroamericana, se ha caracterizado por ser un corredor migratorio para personas que transitan de manera terrestre desde el sur hasta el norte de América y que tienen como destino los países del norte del continente. Este flujo en situación de movilidad por las Américas se encuentra compuesto principalmente por personas de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, Cuba, Haití, Ecuador, así como personas provenientes de otros países de Suramérica, África y Asia.

Según estimaciones de la OIM Costa Rica, durante octubre ingresaron al país 51.248 personas, un promedio de 1.653 personas por día y estimando una disminución de un 31% con respecto a setiembre de 2023. Además, se identificaron 2.389 personas varadas en los albergues monitoreados y 4.883 personas varadas en los sitios públicos visitados.

Main findings

• Top countries of stay: Slovakia (80%), Czech Republic (4%), Austria (3%), Germany (2%), Ireland (1%) United Kingdom (1%).
• Intentions: 53% going for a short visit, 39% plan to stay in Ukraine (prospective returnees), and 8% undecided.
• Top needs*: health services (48%), medicines (31%), general information (26%), financial support (22%), language courses (22%), employment (21%). *more than one answer was possible (N=1,135).
• Destinations in Ukraine: 86% to the same oblast of origin, 14% to a different oblast in Ukraine: Zakarpatska (61%), Kyiv city (13%), Lvivska (10%).
• Transport to Ukraine: bus (82%), train (17%), car/minibus (1%).
• Travel mode: 66% alone and  34% in group.
• Experiences of discrimination: 13% experienced discrimination throughout their journey.
• Travelling with children: 68% of the respondents travelled with children aged less than 18 years

Rising water levels upstream from the Akosombo Dam, due primarily to heavy rainfall, caused the Volta River Authority to commence the spillage of excess water on 15 September 2023. The spillage has caused flooding in communities downstream from the dam, destroying homes and farmland along the banks of the River Volta. Some communities were therefore displaced into safe havens (also known as collective centers) in the districts of Ada East, Central Tongu, North Tongu and Shai Osudoku. In order to obtain updated figures on the populations in the safe havens, the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), with the technical and financial support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), deployed between 14 to 17 November 2023, 30 enumerators in the 25 safe havens in the districts.

This deployment intended to register all internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the safe havens and provide a more in-depth analysis of their specific needs by capturing data using the DTM-developed Standard Registration Tool, which registers IDPs. It provides further information on the individuals, households, existing vulnerabilities, as well as displacement-related triggers to inform future programming.

The registration was conducted in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), World Vision and the Ghanaian Federation of Persons with Physical Disabilities.

The 30 NADMO staff were trained on the IOM Standard Registration Tool and the methodology to complete the registration successfully. The  enumerators were distributed according to the estimated number of people in the safe havens received by NADMO. Three supervision teams were established composed of NADMO, IOM, WFP and World Vision. One team supervised activities in Central Tongu and North Tongu, another supervised activities in Ada East and the final team was in charge of the supervision of activities in Shai Osudoku.

The Volta Region in Ghana has experienced heavy rains and high inflows of water to the Akosombo and Kpong dam reservoir, leading to severe flooding that has displaced 39,333 people in 9 districts. Infrastructure, crops, and shelters have been damaged, and access to essential services has been disrupted. Between 19th and 22nd October 2023, the Inter-Agency Emergencies Working Group in Ghana (IAEWG) conducted a rapid needs assessments due to the floods in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO). The assessment focused on 2 districts (Central Tongu and North Tongu) and specifically in 9 safe havens (collective centers hosting Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs). Both districts have been severely impacted by the floods and currently host 75 per cent of the displaced population. The assessment team assessed 4 collective centers in Central Tongu (New Bakpa, Afetorgborkope, Farm Institute, Lunchtorkor) and 5 in North Tongu (Mepe Presby Junior High School [JHS], Mepe JHS, Mepe Presby Primary School, RC Primary school, Saint kizito). Collective centers were selected in coordination with NADMO based on two criterias: the accessibility and the highest number of IDPs.

Prior to the assessment in the collective centers, interviews have been conducted with NADMO regional directors in order to get an overview of the situation in the 9 districts. Through a network of 9 key informants and NADMO local field agents, in close coordination with IAWGE and local authorities on the ground, 9 interviews have been conducted, as well as 29 focus group discussions (FDGs) with men, women, boys and girls, including person with disabilities.  The focus groups discussion methodology has been validated by the participants of the Rapid Needs Assessments. FDGs with children has been done with the presence of specialized agency. The goal of the Rapid Needs Assessment was to identify needs of the displaced population, and to identify urgent humanitarian response to the floods.

This dashboard presents the results of the Rapid Needs Assessment on health, WASH, education, protection and mental health of the displaced populations living in collective centers in Volta after the flooding.