General Situation during May 2013 Forecast until mid-July 2013

(excerpt)

Djibouti

Events /trends/ data / analysis

New Arrivals: In April 2013, an estimated 4,615 migrants arrived on Yemen’s shores via Djibouti, a 46% decrease from March. 80% of these migrants were Ethiopians while the rest were Somali.

Boats: A total of 66 vessels left via the Red Sea for Yemen carrying an average of 69 passengers per trip in the month of April.

Operation Highlights

Somalia is the country generating the third highest number of refugees in the world, after Afghanistan and Iraq. UNHCR leads protection and emergency relief interventions targeting 700,000 IDPs out of a total IDP population estimated at 1.1 million and over 2,300 refugees in Somalia.

Refugee Update

The Desert Locust situation remained serious during April in northern Sudan where hopper bands were present near crops along a 1,000 km strech of the Nile River. Swarms could form in May and threaten crops, and a second generation of breeding could take place before the summer or, if early rains fall, adults could move to the summer breeding areas in Sudan. There is also concern in Saudi Arabia where new generation adults could move from the northwest Penninsula, including Yemen, and breed in areas of recent heavy rains.

Refugee Update

Tigray Region continues to receive new refugees from Eritrea, with an estimated 200 refugees registered in the past week. Although the rate of arrival has slightly decreased following the surge seen in March - when 1,480 refugees were registered - reports indicate that more are expected to arrive. Given this arrival trend and existing camps quickly reaching full capacity, UNHCR and the Government Refugee Agency, ARRA, are expediting the development of the fourth camp in the area. The new camp has a capacity to accommodate 20,000 people.

Djibouti:

New Arrivals: In February 2013, an estimated 7,648 migrants arrived on Yemen’s shores via Djibouti, a 30% increase from January. The migrants were 24% less than those who landed on the coast of Yemen via Djibouti in February 2012. Migrants journey from Loya Ade, to Tadjoura and onward to Obock. Obock remains the main departure point from Djibouti to Yemen.

Boats: A total of 100 vessels left via the Red Sea for Yemen carrying an average of 76 passengers per trip in the month of February.

Heavy rains characterized the onset of March to May rains in Eastern Africa

KEY MESSAGES

• The onset of March to May rains have been timely across the cropping, agropastoral, and pastoral areas of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda,
Burundi, Uganda, and Tanzania in the areas that receive these rains. The rains started between mid-March and the first week of April. They have been heavier-than-normal in most areas(Figure 1).

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Pastoral livelihood systems in coastal areas received unsatisfactory “bahri” rainfall

Unfavourable “bahri” rains affect pastoralists in coastal areas