Frontline News
© UNHCR/
R. Nuri
Providing food and assistance to refugees in Yemen. Yemen hosts some 140,000 refugees and grants refugee status to all Somalis crossing
its borders. Some 11,000 live in Kharaz refugee camp, out of which 87% depend
on the international assistance to survive. UNHCR employees struggle to provide
them protection and assistance in this remote and desolate area.
Helping Somali refugees in Yemen
Pablo Vizcaino and Abdulrahman Fadaaq work for the UN refugee agency at Kharaz Refugee Camp in Yemen. They talk about what they do there.
Tell us about your work
Abdulrahman: The two of us provide community services to refugees and
work to ensure their identification, registration and protection in Kharaz
Camp. To ensure this, we are in daily contact with camp residents and with
newly arrived refugees. We give particular attention to the identification of
vulnerable cases and put in place concrete actions to help them.
What is the current situation of refugees in Kharaz?
Pablo: Kharaz Camp hosts some 11,000 refugees. Assistance is provided in
the camp, including food. There is a school feeding programme, and special
meals for special cases. A number of projects are also run by partner
organizations to respond to health care, education and community services
needs. Only 13 percent of the refugees in Kharaz have work, so the vast
majority depend on international aid.
What are the most pressing needs?
Abdulrahman: Definitely the lack of shelter for newly arrived refugees.
We are making a big effort to find each refugee a place to settle, but their
numbers keep increasing and the capacity of the camp is limited its a real
struggle. Counselling is also very important since people, especially those
coming from Somalia, have endured tremendous suffering.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Abdulrahman: Knowing that your skill and effort has a direct impact on
the lives of people with special needs is the most rewarding part of our job.
Even if we cannot change their lives, we always encourage them to move forward.
What really sticks in your mind about Kharaz?
Pablo: Generally speaking, the direct help we give to the victims of
sexual violence. This is the most difficult part of our job because it really
affects you emotionally.
Background info
Yemen in one of the poorest countries of the Middle East. Yet, it hosts some 140,000 refugees and grants refugee status to all Somalis crossing its borders.
Every year tens of thousands of Somalis risk their lives to cross the Gulf of Aden and reach Yemen in their search for safety. Many die atrocious deaths, beaten, thrown overboard, eaten by sharks, drowned or asphyxiated in the hold of crowded smuggler boats.
Once arrived on the Yemeni shores, survivors are picked up by UNHCR’s partner organizations and transported to one of our reception centres where they are registered and where they receive some basic assistance such as food, shelter, medical assistance and support for a period of 2-3 days.
Once they have recovered from their ordeal, Somali refugees are given the option to stay at the Kharaz refugee camp located in Lahj Governorate, around two hours drive west of Aden. Some 11,000 mainly Somali refugees live in this camp, while many other choose to stay in urban areas.
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