Dozens of Ethiopian migrants from the Amhara region protested Thursday in Aden in South Yemen, demanding to return to their country due to worsening living conditions. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed that the migrants protested the suspension of voluntary repatriation operations to Amhara. Many African migrants use the risky migration path known as the "Eastern Route" through Yemen to reach Saudi Arabia. The organization has facilitated the safe return of around 6,000 migrants, including unaccompanied children, to Ethiopia this year. Still, it cannot currently help those wanting to return to Amhara because of the conflict between the Ethiopian army and local fighters.
The British Navy has reported that an entity posing as a United Nations inspection team is directing ships near Aden to the port of Hodeidah. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has warned ships in the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.
Sixteen migrants were killed or injured in clashes between Muslim and Christian African migrants in Aden, local sources said on Friday. Three migrants have been killed, and thirteen others have been injured over racial disputes. The incident occurred in Mansura and Sheikh Othman districts and involved Ethiopian migrants. The disagreements had been ongoing since Thursday, escalating into violent clashes as the two sides used sticks, knives, and stones.
Mines and explosive devices planted by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group were swept into farmers' fields in the Hays district of Hodeidah by recent floods, according to a Yemeni human rights observatory. The observatory warned of the dangers to farmers and residents posed by landmines and explosive devices, which contaminate farmland and thereby result in farmers' income loss. Since the war started in Yemen in 2015, the parties to the conflict have planted thousands of landmines, which left countless civilian deaths and injuries.
On Thursday, an AeroGulf helicopter crashed into the sea off UAE's coast, with a search underway for its crew of two pilots, reported the state-run Emirati media. The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority said the helicopter had taken off from Al Maktoum International Airport for a night training exercise. The pilots of the helicopter are missing and are of Egyptian and South African nationalities.
