Yemenis seek safety in Djibouti as African migrants continue arriving in Yemen

Yemenis seek safety in Djibouti as African migrants continue arriving in Yemen

Submitted by MEE correspondent on Thu, 09/24/2026 - 09:40 Recent escalation has forced more than 3,000 Yemeni refugees to flee to Djibouti, even as African migrants continue to move in Yemen refugees arrive in Djibouti as intensified fighting drives displacement (Reuters/Abdourahim Arteh) Off

Abdullah Mohammed, 37, is a Yemeni expatriate in Djibouti, where he first arrived in 2017 after losing his job with an oil company in Yemen.

He works in a clothing shop, which yields enough to provide a decent living for his six family members back home.

Djibouti has welcomed thousands of Yemenis who travelled in search of work in an easily accessible neighbouring country - unlike the Gulf states, which are virtually impossible to reach for Yemeni refugees or those who cannot afford high visa fees.

“When I first entered Djibouti, I travelled with neighbours, and no special preparation was needed since visas are granted upon arrival," Mohammed told Middle East Eye.

"Since then, I feel like I am in my own country; the authorities don’t hassle us or demand high fees for visa renewals and other requirements."

Thousands of Yemenis work in Djibouti, travelling back and forth smoothly by sea or air.

Since the conflict in Yemen re-escalated in September, however, an estimated 128,000 people have been newly displaced, adding to the 5.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) already living in displacement across the country.

According to UNHCR., 3,601 new arrivals from Yemen were recorded in Djibouti as of 18 September, seeking safety from the renewed fighting between the Houthis (Ansar Allah), Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-backed national government.

'Everyone should give based on what they have, as Islam teaches us. We should never judge or treat people based on their nationality'

- Yemeni restaurant owner

Djibouti has long been a primary destination for residents of Yemen’s Red Sea coast due to its proximity and its willingness to accept Yemenis upon arrival as refugees. In response to the recent surge, authorities in Djibouti called on humanitarian organisations to intervene and assist incoming Yemeni refugees.

This is not the first group to reach Djibouti. UNHCR confirmed that neighboring countries continue to host Yemeni refugees and asylum-seekers, including approximately 4,000 in Djibouti and 8,000 in Somalia.

The newly arrived Yemeni refugees landed at scattered points along the coast near Obock. They are currently staying in refugee camps under increasingly difficult humanitarian conditions.

Mohammed explained that the economic situation in Djibouti is no longer what it used to be, making it hard for new arrivals to secure work.

“Those refugees are in camps and cannot leave freely to seek employment. Even if they do, finding a job is difficult because many Yemenis here are already unemployed,” he said.

He expressed hope that wealthy Yemeni business owners living in Djibouti would step in to assist their compatriots in starting over or returning to Yemen.

“All of us have been impacted by the conflict in Yemen, but these are newly affected people. I hope our traders can help them, at least with basic necessities,” Mohammed added.

African migrants still arriving in Yemen

While Yemenis flee to Djibouti and thousands are already in Ethiopia, at the same time Ethiopian and Somali migrants continue to arrive in Yemen despite the recent escalation in conflict.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 11,397 migrants entered Yemen in August - a 17 percent decrease compared to the 13,687 tracked in July. The primary departure point remained Djibouti.

In 2025, a total of 110,144 migrants were recorded entering Yemen, 97 percent of whom were Ethiopian nationals and three percent Somali. This highlights Yemen’s ongoing role as a vital transit hub, according to the IOM.

The flow of migrants from the Horn of Africa has persisted into September, showing no sign of stopping despite the recent fighting.

'We come to Yemen, and most Yemenis treat us like brothers'

- Ethiopian migrant

However, the dire humanitarian situation of these African migrants is evident to anyone passing them on city streets, where many sleep outdoors and rely on the charity of passersby for food.

While some find low-wage jobs, the majority depend on the generosity of local Yemenis. Even though more than half of Yemen’s population requires humanitarian assistance, locals still show strong sympathy toward the incoming migrants.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), 22.3 million people in Yemen require some form of humanitarian or protection assistance in 2026.

An Ethiopian migrant working as a cleaner at a shopping mall in Taiz said that he considers Yemen his second home and does not feel like a stranger there.

“We come to Yemen, and most Yemenis treat us like brothers,” he told MEE. “Our goal isn’t to stay here permanently, but to reach Saudi Arabia.”

Acts of giving to the needy

Some restaurants across various governorates, such as Aden and Lahj, distribute free food to people in need - including both Yemenis and African migrants - as the owners view this as an act of charity (sadaqah), an Islamic practice encouraged among believers.

Omar, co-owner of a restaurant in Lahj, distributes food - primarily rice - almost every day to around 40 people in need, including African migrants. He emphasised that they make no distinction between Yemenis and Africans, offering help to anyone who comes to their door.

“Charity does not decrease wealth; rather, it brings blessings to it,” Omar told MEE. “You cannot imagine the happiness of seeing hungry people get a meal. If I could give more, I would not hesitate, as we are acting for the next world, not this one.”

It is not just restaurants that step up; everyday Yemenis are often seen giving food or small cash donations to African migrants out of empathy and a desire to perform acts of charity - an approach Omar believes everyone should embrace.

“You do not need to be a wealthy trader or a restaurant owner to give charity,” Omar said. “Everyone should give based on what they have, as Islam teaches us. We should never judge or treat people based on their nationality.”

Deep historical ties

Ahmed Abdulwahed, who is in his 60s and prefers to be called Uncle Ahmed, confirmed that the positive relationship between Yemen and Ethiopia is ancient, with deep-rooted social ties connecting the two communities.

Uncle Ahmed was born in Ethiopia to an Ethiopian mother and a Yemeni father. He spent more than 20 years there, living out his childhood and youth in the country.

“In times of crisis and difficult economic conditions, some Yemenis would go to Ethiopia in search of work and stability, living there for years before returning to Yemen; conversely, Ethiopians would come to Yemen,” Uncle Ahmed told MEE.

Saudi war against Houthis displaces 130,000 Yemenis as hunger crisis deepens Read More »

He noted that a strong brotherly bond exists, one where a Yemeni never felt like a stranger or merely a temporary resident.

“We lived among the people as if we were one of them, and there was mutual love and respect between Yemenis and Ethiopians,” he added.

“In hard times, each community stood by the other. Yemenis helped their Ethiopian brothers, and Ethiopians likewise stood with Yemenis; thus, the ties between the two were far greater than just a relationship of work or trade.”

Many Yemenis travelled to Ethiopia in the past, and nowadays more are travelling to Djibouti in search of work - especially alongside Yemeni business owners who established enterprises there decades ago.

“There were Yemeni traders and business owners, with some working in various fields such as commerce, the automotive industry, woodworking, and building materials,” Uncle Ahmed added. 

“When I talk about Ethiopia, I am not speaking of a country I passed through briefly, but rather a place where I spent a long period of my life. I have many memories there; life during that time was beautiful and stable, and we lived alongside the people, sharing their joys and sorrows, with social bonds being remarkably strong.”

Uncle Ahmed emphasised that while politics change and circumstances shift, relationships between communities endure.

“Yemenis lived in Ethiopia for many years, and Ethiopians likewise came to Yemen, living and working. Therefore, there is a shared history and social and human ties that political circumstances can never erase,” Uncle Ahmed said.

Yemen War Taiz, Yemen News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0