The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that more than 97,000 African migrants arrived in Yemen during the past year, 2023. The organization said in a recent report that the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) recorded the arrival of 97,210 African migrants to Yemen from January 1 to December 31, 2023. The report explained that 1,569 migrants registered in December entered Yemen via the coasts of Shabwah province. Yemen is a major destination for migrants from the Horn of Africa, particularly Ethiopia and Somalia. Many migrants aim to travel to the Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was holding more talks with Arab leaders on Monday, January 8, as part of a diplomatic push to stop the war in Gaza from spreading further. Blinken met Abu Dhabi's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in the United Arab Emirates and was due later on Monday to hold talks in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Blinken visited Jordan and Qatar on Sunday and sought to reassure Arab officials that the US opposes the displacement of Palestinians outside Gaza and instead wants Israel's Muslim-majority neighbors to play a role in the Strip's future governance. Blinken has been joined by US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking as Washington seeks to garner regional support for actions to counter the attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis on commercial shipping. "These attacks by the Houthis are hurting people around the world — most of all, the poorest and most vulnerable populations, including in Yemen, including in Gaza," Blinken said.
Yemen's Houthis on Sunday called for all vessels planning to transit the Red Sea to notify them in advance of their destinations and declare no connections to Israel to avoid being attacked.Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, said on X, "Every ship that goes through the Red Sea, Bab El-Mandeb (the strait that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden), or the Arabian Sea should broadcast the words, 'we have no relationship with Israel.' He added, "This is a simple and low-cost solution that will incur no financial expenditures for any business. This measure does not need the militarization of the Red Sea and will not jeopardize international navigation."
Nine Yemeni fishermen kidnapped by Somali pirates have been freed and are sailing home, relatives told Arab News on Monday. Over a week ago, Somali pirates abducted 43 fishermen off the Somali coastal district of Hafun and took them to shore. Thirty-four were released in Somalia, but the pirates sailed back to sea with the remaining nine, according to reports. Yemeni fishermen said the recent deployment of American-led maritime forces, coupled with Houthi attacks on ships, have made their work difficult and dangerous.
