Yemenis seek refuge in Somalia, Djibouti

DOZENS of Yemenis have crossed the Gulf of Aden in small boats to get to Somalia, Djibouti and Somaliland to escape fighting and Saudi air strikes, the United Nations refugee agency has said.

The UNHCR said it was looking for a possible site for the refugees in Djibouti in case the fighting worsens.

At the same time, Somali refugees are still continuing to arrive in Yemen to escape violence and poverty at home.

Yemen hosts more than 238,000 Somali refugees, the UNHCR says.

The UNHCR said that at least 32 Yemenis “fleeing conflict” landed on Somalia’s northern coastline after crossing the treacherous Gulf of Aden and landing in the semi-autonomous regions of Somaliland and Puntland.

BBC Africa analyst, Mary Harper, said that the idea of Yemenis seeking refuge on Somali soil is striking – because it is normally a place to run away from, not towards.

The UN said the authorities in the Somaliland port town of Berbera – on the Gulf of Aden – are doing what they can to help.