Djibouti: Yemeni Refugees Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) Operation n° MDRDJ002

A. Situation analysis Description of the disaster

From 26 March 2015, there was an escalation in fighting between opposition groups in Yemen, which has affected an estimated 500,000 people, including 244,000 registered refugees (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). As a result, populations affected by the crisis (including Chinese, Djiboutian, Indian, Kenyan, Somali, Tanzanian and Yemeni national) have begun to flee the violence, seeking refuge in countries in the Horn of Africa, specifically Djibouti and Somalia.

On 31 March 2015, 54 people (18 Djiboutians; and 36 Yemeni) arrived Khor-Angar in the north of Djibouti. By 8 April 2015, the numbers had reached 215, and were being hosted in the “Al-Rahma” orphanage, and another orphanage under construction in the town of Obock-ville. By 20 April 2015, this number has reached upwards of 500 (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR), with more and more people arriving daily. On 21, 22 and 24 April 2015, an additional 30, 183 and 166 people arrived at Djibouti port, comprising various nationalities, including many Djiboutians and more than 100 Yemeni. By 24 April 2015, UNCHR had registered two unaccompanied minors (15 and 17 years old). It is reported that people are arriving in Aden, BAB-AL-mandab Mayoun, and coastal areas of Yemen; and using commercial boats or private fishermen boats to travel to Djibouti (Djibouti port,
Obock port Al-mandab Khor-Angar port, and others).

At the Obock port, arrivals are registered by UNHCR, and transferred by bus to the sites of Al-Rahma, Omnisport Stadium or an International Organization for Migration (IOM) centre, depending on their place of origin in Yemen. At Djibouti port, arrivals are registered by the immigration authorities (Office National d’Assistance aux Réfugiés et Sinistrés), and transferred later on to Obock’s sites where they are assisted by UNHCR. In addition, some arrivals remain in transit in Djibouti port for one to five days either waiting for a visa, a transit permit or to be transferred to Obock.

On the 27 and 28 March 2015, a joint visit including different humanitarian actors (UNICEF, UNHCR, ONARS, DRC, NRC, ACF, and IOM) was organized to establish potential settlement sites for the arrivals, with the following options identified:

• Site 1: Oulma 20km north of Obock – this location was found suitable for a camp due to the weather conditions in this location (i.e. high temperatures and winds).

• Site 2: Markasi 5km south west of Obock-It is close to a centre managed by IOM hosting about 18,000 refugees (mainly from Somalia, but also from Ethiopia, Eritrea and other nationalities) who are willing to go back to their place of origin. However; this site has a maximum capacity of 200 – 250 people only. On 19 April 2015, approximately 100 people were moved to Markasi camp, where the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and UNHCR had started the construction of a camp, but were then returned to the Al-Rahma and Omnisport Stadium sites (see below), the next day following an order from the local authorities.

• Site 3 and Site 4: Al-Rahma orphanage, approximately 4km from the port of Obock- Arrivals here could then be transferred to the camps. The Omnisport Stadium of Obock, opposite the Al-Rahma site, was identified to welcome arrivals as a temporary measure – however both of these sites remain under construction and not somewhere where people could be hosted for long since the facilities are limited. In addition, the local authorities and company constructing these sites do not want people to be hosted for long, since their stay also damages the newly built structures.

As of 24 April 2015, the government of Djibouti had not agreed on where the arrivals should be settled, however 549 people were currently being hosted in the Al-Rahma, Omnisport Stadium IOM sites and it is anticipated that based on the number of people arriving daily, this will reach 2,000 over the next 3 months.

• It should be noted that the population in Obock is also vulnerable, as they were severely affected by the civil war in 1991, and have been receiving food assistance from the World Food Programme.