Yemen: fire in a detention center, IOM asks for access to the wounded
Ethiopian migrants in April 2019, in Aden, Yemen.
Illustrative photo.
AFP - -
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Most came from Ethiopia.
They were 900 and were surprised by a huge fire in a detention center in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen.
The official toll of the deceased is not known.
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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is asking
for
"
urgent humanitarian access
" to migrants injured in the fire that occurred on Sunday March 7 in a detention camp in Sana'a.
She also called for “
the release of all migrants detained in the country
” and to ensure “
safe travel possibilities
”.
IOM is calling for urgent access to migrants injured in yesterday's deadly fire at an immigration holding facility in Sana'a, Yemen.
Over 170 people have been treated for injuries, with many remaining in critical condition.
Read our full statement: https://t.co/bgeoLZK5qR pic.twitter.com/5eZ0leYNGW
- IOM - UN Migration (@UNmigration) March 8, 2021
The International Organization for Migration explains that it has difficulty accessing the wounded due to an increased security presence in hospitals.
Migrants trapped in Yemen
The injured number around 170 and are in critical condition following a fire at a Houthi-run Immigration Authority detention center in Sana'a.
The death toll is uncertain.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the fire broke out on Sunday March 7 in a hangar near the main building of this overcrowded detention center.
The origin of the incident is not known.
In its statement, the IOM recalls that "
all people in Yemen, including migrants, must benefit from protection and security, the responsibility of which lies with the authorities of the territory
".
Many Ethiopians are indeed trying their luck, via Djibouti, and Yemen, in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
They hope to find work there.
Sana'a, like much of northern Yemen, is under the control of the Houthis, Iran-backed rebels.
The Houthis have regularly been accused of hindering or complicating the work of aid workers.
After more than six years of war, the country is going through a serious humanitarian crisis.
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See also: Yemen: at least eight dead in the fire of a migrant detention center
►
To read also: Hundreds of migrants cross Djibouti every day to reach Yemen
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