Yemen - Flow Monitoring Points | Non-Yemeni Migrant Arrivals and Yemeni Migrant Returnees in January 2023

In January 2023, IOM Yemen DTM recorded 10,707 migrants entering Yemen, barely an increase of 1 per cent from December 2022 (10,620). In Lahj (7,904 migrants) DTM has noted a dramatic drop of (-4) per cent in arrivals compared to the last month (8,220 migrants). This stands in contrast to Shabwah (2,803) which registered an increase this month by 17 per cent. In other terms, migration flows shifted from Obock, Djibouti (-4%) towards Bari, Somalia (+17%). The overall increase could be linked to weather conditions, sea tides and decreased coast guard patrolling in Djibouti. While travel had been primarily due to economic reasons in the first half of 2022, DTM has been recording conflict induced movements since August 2022, being the reason for 21 per cent of all incoming movements in January 2023. All conflict motivated travel was recorded in Shabwah coming from Bari, Somalia (32% children, 15% women, and 53% men).

Due to the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Yemen and the challenges in moving towards KSA, many migrants opted to return to the Horn of Africa. DTM teams in Djibouti recorded that during January 2023, a total of 587 migrants took the risky return by boat from Yemen to travel home. Meanwhile, DTM reported 5,100 Yemeni returns from KSA in January 2023, compared to 5,047 in December 2022.

The migrant caseload was around 97 per cent Ethiopian nationals, and around three per cent Somali nationals. The migrants are predominantly male (77%), with 5 per cent women, (15%) boys and three per cent girls also among the travelers.

Through January’s reporting period, 2,803 migrants arrived from Somalia and were recorded 2,565 at Ber Ali and 235 at Ayn Bamabad flow monitoring points in Shabwah governorate. In Lahj governorate, 7,904 migrants arrived from Djibouti, where 4,149 were recorded at Al Azaf flow monitoring point (FMP), 2,565 at Hasy Eisa, 833 at Al Cawhah FMP, 335 at Al Makhabbah FMP, and 186 at Al Saqya FMP.