At least 27,800 migrants have crossed from the Horn of Africa (HoA) to war-torn Yemen during the first 5 months of 2022, surpassing the estimated 27,700 migrants that arrived in the whole of 2021.

The migration route from the HoA towards the Arabian Peninsula is the single most important migration route in this region, with migrants hoping to cross the border into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), where they expect to find employment. It has been reported however that over 1,000 migrants, including women and children, have been injured or killed by in deliberate and targeted attacks near the border in 2022, preventing migrants to cross into KSA.

Due to the route being blocked in Yemen, over 40,000 migrants are estimated to be stranded in Yemen out of the estimated 190,000 migrants in need of assistance. DG ECHO partners support this extremely vulnerable group with food, health and protection assistance.