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SANAA (Yemen) - The Somali consul in the port city of Aden has called on the international community to take steps to end the deaths of migrants - mainly Somalis fleeing in flimsy smugglers’ boats to Yemen - in the Gulf of Aden, and find a lasting solution to their plight.
The consul, Hussein Hajji, told IRIN: "We call on international organisations, particularly the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), to find solutions that can stop the deaths in the Gulf of Aden. A solution can be reached inside Somalia to stop the continuous influx to Yemen." He said African migrants were arriving in Yemen almost daily.
The consul's call came following the latest incident in which at least 20 people died off the Yemeni coast on 27 March. He said two smugglers’ boats arrived near Ahwar in the southern province of Abyan, carrying about 450 passengers, mostly Somalis.
"One of the boats was carrying 250 passengers and arrived at night. About 24 died and another 30 went missing due to the darkness. Smugglers disembarked the passengers before getting to the shore," he said.
Hajji said the passengers could not find their way to the beach as it was too dark and some were too exhausted to swim. "There were no deaths in the second boat which arrived simultaneously in the same area."
According to Hajji, some passengers were injured and received medical treatment at a clinic run by Medicins Sans Frontières (MSF) in that area. They were then taken to UNHCR's Mayfaa reception centre in Shabwa Governorate.
"The UNHCR gave the new refugees the option of either going to Kharaz refugee camp [150km west of Aden], which is home to over 9,000 African refugees, or to move freely anywhere in the country. Very few agreed to go to Kharaz camp; most decided to go to Aden," he said.
According to the UNHCR, over 8,000 Africans have arrived in Yemen since the beginning of 2008, compared to 2,946 in the first two months of 2007.
The Yemeni authorities say African migrants are able to infiltrate the country as it is difficult to guard the 2,500km-long coastline.
"One of the boats was carrying 250 passengers and arrived at night. About 24 died and another 30 went missing due to the darkness. Smugglers disembarked the passengers before getting to the shore," he said.
Hajji said the passengers could not find their way to the beach as it was too dark and some were too exhausted to swim. "There were no deaths in the second boat which arrived simultaneously in the same area."
According to Hajji, some passengers were injured and received medical treatment at a clinic run by Medicins Sans Frontières (MSF) in that area. They were then taken to UNHCR's Mayfaa reception centre in Shabwa Governorate.
"The UNHCR gave the new refugees the option of either going to Kharaz refugee camp [150km west of Aden], which is home to over 9,000 African refugees, or to move freely anywhere in the country. Very few agreed to go to Kharaz camp; most decided to go to Aden," he said.
According to the UNHCR, over 8,000 Africans have arrived in Yemen since the beginning of 2008, compared to 2,946 in the first two months of 2007.
The Yemeni authorities say African migrants are able to infiltrate the country as it is difficult to guard the 2,500km-long coastline.
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