More than 20,000 Ethiopian migrants have crossed into Djibouti in three weeks, with thousands stranded in remote desert areas facing shortages of food, water and medical assistance, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned.
The organisation said the migrants had entered Djibouti since September 20, while more than 3,000 people were struggling to survive in isolated desert locations without adequate supplies.
The growing influx has heightened humanitarian concerns along the dangerous migration route to Yemen, where migrants face difficult conditions and limited access to essential services.
The IOM said it was providing emergency food, clean water and medical care to affected migrants but warned that those using alternative routes were becoming increasingly difficult to reach.
The situation has further strained Djibouti’s limited resources, as the country is also receiving Ethiopian migrants returning from Yemen.
Continued conflict in Yemen has contributed to further displacement, complicating migration patterns and increasing the need for humanitarian assistance across the region.
The IOM called on the international community to provide urgent and sustained financial support to enable humanitarian agencies to reach vulnerable migrants and maintain essential relief operations.
It warned that without additional funding, critical assistance for migrants facing life-threatening conditions could be disrupted.
The latest developments underscore the humanitarian challenges confronting migrants travelling through the Horn of Africa towards Yemen, a route associated with significant risks, including harsh desert conditions and limited access to basic necessities.
