Yemeni Uprising and the Fate of Eritreans in Sana’a

The Arab Spring may have been good to Arabs, but not to the  Eritreans near enough to witness it as it kept unfolding. This has been the case in Egypt and Libya, with Eritrean refugees ending up displaced, abused or dead in their hundreds. Now, the same trend seems, again, to show up in Yemen, where Eritreans are facing the same mob anger from the “reformers”, as the anarchy increases with the departure of President Ali Abbdulah Saleh to Saudi Arabia for treatment after being wounded in a shelling attack on a mosque in his palace.

Below is a report from Meron Estefanos on the plight of Eritrean refugees in Yemen:

I just spoke to Eritrean refugees in Sana’a Yemen.  Over 160 Eritrean refugees including women and children have been sleeping outside UNHCR office for over a week. The situation in Yemen is getting worse every day. The refugees told me that there are over 800 Eritreans in Sana’a Yemen who are not safe in their houses, as they have been threatened by the Yemeni, telling them once we get rid of this regime, you immigrants will be next. Their houses have been looted, they lost their jobs, they have no money left, most of all they have no one to protect them. They told me every one including children have weapons; wherever you go people are shooting at anything and anyone.

For over a week that they slept outside UNHCR office, no one is willing assist them or to even talk to them. About four days ago they were told by an UNHCR officer to leave the UNHCR premises, when they refused, the UNHCR staff called police on them and asked the police to remove everyone from UNHC premises. The police assaulted the Eritrean refugees and even arrested four people who they thought were leaders of the refugees. When everyone refused to go, the UNHCR chief decided to close the office and gave all workers a five days off just to avoid dealing with them. Help with security is urgently needed.