Aden (South24)

Yesterday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with 45 humanitarian and development partners, launched an appeal for $81 million to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to more than one million migrants and the communities hosting them in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya and Yemen.

This appeal is part of the Regional Migrant Response Plan, which aims to provide basic needs, including food, water, health care and psychosocial support, in addition to voluntary return and reintegration services.

Hundreds of thousands of migrants undertake perilous journeys each year via irregular migration routes; from East Africa, especially Ethiopia and Somalia, towards the Gulf states via Djibouti and Yemen. Or they move southwards via Kenya and Tanzania in an attempt to reach South Africa.

According to IOM data, more than 446,000 migration movements were recorded on the eastern route during 2024, 10% of which were by children. Migrants are exposed to multiple health and safety risks during these journeys, including hunger, dehydration, exploitation and violence.

The organization’s Missing Migrants Project documented 559 deaths on these routes last year, with the actual number likely to be higher due to under-reporting.

Data indicates that women and girls, who make up nearly a third of migrants, are more vulnerable to gender-based violence and human trafficking. Migrants also face the threat of arbitrary detention and ill-treatment along the migration routes.

Funding for the response plan is challenging, with only 20% of the $112 million funding appeal for 2024 secured.

IOM stresses that continued underfunding is hampering the delivery of vital assistance and further complicating the conditions faced by migrants and host communities.