Tuesday December 10, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) — More than 900 Somali refugees stranded in Yemen have returned to Somalia over the past three months through collaborative efforts by local and international agencies.
The Field Medical Foundation (FMF) announced on Thursday that it had facilitated the repatriation of 958 Somali refugees via seven sea trips since September, with support from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
“The refugees didn’t just return to their land, but they returned with hope and aspirations for a brighter future. We express our gratitude to everyone who contributed to this humanitarian mission and reaffirm our commitment to supporting refugees everywhere,” the FMF stated.
Yemen, the only country in the Arabian Peninsula to have signed the Refugee Convention and Protocol, hosts the largest number of Somali refugees who fled during Somalia’s prolonged civil war.
The Somali government has, in recent days, been taking steps to repatriate Somali refugees from countries such as Sudan and Libya.