Yemen: Nearly 15,000 migrants blocked by anti-COVID measures

Anti-pandemic measures by COVID-19 have blocked at least 14,500 Ethiopian migrants trying to reach Saudi Arabia, exposing them to forced relocation, arbitrary detention and other abuses, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported this week. Although restrictions in the country have reduced the number of migrant arrivals by 90% in recent months, thousands of Ethiopians are stranded in a country where transport services have been stopped, IOM spokesperson Paul Dillon told a press conference.

"For six years Yemen has been an extremely unsafe place for a migrant, and COVID-19 has made things worse," said Dillon, who explained that many Yemenis blame this floating population for carrying the coronavirus, which has sometimes triggered verbal and physical attacks on them. Many of the blocked migrants sleep outdoors, increasing the risk of contracting the virus, with little or no access not only to health services but also to other basic needs such as food or clean water.

The country acknowledges 1,460 cases and 418 deaths from COVID-19, although IOM and other humanitarian organizations on the ground believe that the coronavirus is widespread among local communities, so the actual numbers are probably much higher.