Regional Migrant Response Plan for the Horn of Africa to Yemen and Southern Africa 2024

Year

Regional Plan

CRP last updated: January 19 2024

Funding last updated: October 08 2024

$87,901,227

Funding required

972,098

People Targeted

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IOM Vision

Migration along the Eastern and Southern Routes originating in the Horn of Africa is triggered by insecurity, environmental degradation, harsh climatic conditions, public health, emergencies, socioeconomic drivers, and traditional seasonal factors. Within the broader Regional Migrant Response Plan (MRP) for the Horn of Africa to Yemen and Southern Africa inter-agency framework, IOM will contribute to the whole-of-government and whole-of-society response to address the drivers of migration and vulnerabilities of migrants travelling along both the Eastern and Southern Routes. In line with the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, the MRP’s areas of intervention encompass both life-saving humanitarian assistance and longer-term responses to achieve resilience and sustainable solutions.

Migrants in Sortie Gaherre, a section of the desert, draw water from a source installed by IOM Djibouti. © Alexander Bee / IOM 2022

The Horn of Africa and Yemen is a region of origin, transit, and destination. The adverse effects of climate change, conflict and instability exacerbate socioeconomic challenges, pushing thousands of people of all genders and ages to migrate.

The Eastern Route running from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula is the busiest and most dangerous migratory corridor in the region. Ethiopian and Somali migrants travel through Djibouti and Somalia across the Gulf of Aden and transit through Yemen hoping to reach the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States. Migration along the Eastern Route happens in both directions, including not only outward migration but also voluntary and involuntary return movements.

Over the past years, heightened humanitarian needs of migrants and host communities have been identified along the Southern Route, with migrants originating from Ethiopia and Somalia and transiting through Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania, among other Southern African countries, towards South Africa. Most migrants resorting to the Southern Route are Ethiopians (85% in 2022), while Somalis accounted for 15 per cent of those on the move during the same year. Ethiopians resort to irregular migration primarily due to economic reasons, but also due to conflict, violence, and climate change (IOM, 2023). Somali migration is driven by various reasons including political instability, insecurity, violence, drought, and the desire for better opportunities.

Ethiopia’s challenging economic environment serves as a driver of migration, along with conflict and climate change. As of July 2023, IOM recorded over 180,000 Eastern Route migrants exiting Ethiopia, a 32 per cent increase from the previous year. Between January and July 2023, nearly 7,000 women and children arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa (IOM 2023). Migrants departing from Ethiopia are highly vulnerable to protection risks and face harsh conditions such as extreme climates, lack of adequate shelter, water and food. Ethiopia is a bi-directional migration corridor, experiencing large return flows. These include spontaneous returnees, stranded migrants who received return assistance and non-voluntary returned migrants. Often lacking the means to sustainably reintegrate in their communities of origin, most migrants face economic, social and psychological challenges upon return and may resort again to irregular migration.

For over a decade, Somalia has experienced recurrent droughts in regions already struggling with protracted conflicts. The current conflict escalation in Las Anod pose a critical threat to migrants en route to Puntland, who are facing human rights violations, discrimination, and detention. Migrants in transit are vulnerable to trafficking and forced labour under the control of armed groups, while those exploring new routes are threatened by smuggling networks. In September 2023, migration movements within Somalia increased, with arrivals in Bossaso rising by 10% from the previous month (IOM, 2023).

Between January and September 2023, over 106,000 migrants from Ethiopia entered Djibouti compared to approximately 14,000 entering Somalia migrants transiting through Djibouti travelled under extreme conditions, crossing large expanses of desert by foot. The worsening impacts of climate change will likely aggravate already adverse transiting conditions, exacerbating the risk of migrant deaths. It is important to note that while Djibouti has historically been the main country of transit for Eastern Route migrants, MRP partners have observed recent decreases in migrants arriving to Yemen from Djibouti, resulting in higher recorded arrivals to Yemen from Somalia for the first time since September 2022 (IOM, 2023). These decreases can be explained by increased patrols by the coast guard along the Djiboutian coast as well as reported increases in the price of boat trips from Djibouti to Yemen. This shift in dynamics can also explain the increases in migration movements within Somalia observed in the same time period.

With 92,357 arrivals between January – September 2023, 2023 has seen a sharp increase in migrants arriving into Yemen. This trend is likely to continue in 2024, with the potential to exceed pre-COVID-19 levels (138,000 arrivals in 2019). The migrant crisis in Yemen is cited as a crisis within a crisis, while humanitarian needs brought on by the conflict are acute, people on the move are not only in dire need of humanitarian assistance but are also exposed to protection risks including violence, coercion, deliberate deprivation, and abuse. Migrants who do not manage to cross into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remain stranded in Yemen and are often detained or forcibly displaced to other parts of the country. IOM’s Missing Migrant Project estimates over 700 migrants deaths attributed to conflict in Yemen in 2022, and hundreds of migrants have come to IOM-supported hospitals with conflict-related injuries. The absence of essential services affects Yemenis and migrants alike: 80 per cent of the country’s population struggle to access food, safe drinking water and adequate health services, while nearly 90 per cent of the population has no access to publicly supplied electricity.

Kenya’s economic stability acts as a pull factor for migrants from various countries in the East and Horn of Africa, and its geographical location makes it a key transit hub along the Southern Route. Migration through Kenya is strongly influenced by family and diaspora networks in the country, who provide logistical support to migrants en route (IOM 2023). Although not well documented, anecdotal evidence suggests a spike in the number of migrants in transit over the last four years due to persistent droughts and environmental degradation that negatively affect livelihood opportunities in rural areas in countries of origin (IOM 2023). Most migrants originating from the East and the Horn of Africa enter into Kenya irregularly and largely rely on smuggling networks, and are exposed to exploitation, abuse and various protection risks, including human trafficking. In the United Republic of Tanzania, large numbers of irregular migrants stranded along the Southern Route end up in detention (IOM 2023). Even though immigration-related offences may be pardoned as a goodwill gesture, provided that migrants are supported to return to their countries of origin, thousands remain stranded in detention in deplorable conditions, with no means to return or to obtain regular status.

The number of people in need along both routes is estimated at 2,173,087 million (Migrant Needs Overview 2024), warranting an escalation of response in 2024. Protection remains a key priority, considering the various risks and vulnerabilities faced by those on the move. Key needs include lifesaving assistance (food assistance, non-food items, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, shelter, and medical assistance) as well as reintegration support and economic empowerment initiatives. Information and awareness-raising about the perils of irregular migration are also necessary.

IOM interventions are embedded in the MRP for the Horn of Africa to Yemen and Southern Africa at both the regional and country levels. The MRP framework facilitates effective coordination, capacity enhancement, analysis, and resource mobilization to address the regional dimensions of migration from the Horn of Africa throughout the Eastern Route via Yemen and along the Southern Route via Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania. In 2024, 57 partners are coming together to address the dire humanitarian needs as well as protection risks and vulnerabilities faced by migrants in the region. The MRP aims to scale up the delivery of lifesaving and resilience-building initiatives, as well as implement long-term sustainable solutions for migrants and host communities.

At the regional level, the MRP Regional Coordination Committe (RCC) for regional directors and technical focal points comprise 15 partners, who provide overall strategic direction for the implementation of the plan. Together with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Save the Children, IOM co-chairs the MRP Communications Working Group (CWG). In addition, IOM and the Danish Refugee Council co-chair the MRP Migrant Protection Working Group (MPWG) for the Eastern Route, which seeks to enhance a coordinated protection response to the needs of migrants and host communities. In 2024, a sub-working group for the Southern Route will also be established. IOM and the Mixed Migration Centre co-chair the Information Management Working Group, which allows for a collaborative approach to data collection, methodology and formulation of the annual MRP population figures. Furthermore, the MRP is aligned to the Regional Child Protection Network and the Regional Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Working Groups. IOM also leverages its sub-regional cooperation with Regional Economic Communities (RECs), such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). IOM is a member of the Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration (RMFM) Nairobi Process, which seeks to develop a common regional position and engage as a block with the Gulf States to ensure the protection of migrant workers from the Horn of Africa.

At the country level, the MRP aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework Guidance (UNSDCF) and with the humanitarian programme cycles as relevant. IOM coordinates the MRP through existing inter-agency frameworks (Inter-Agency Standing Committee Task Teams, the various humanitarian clusters, and all relevant Grand Bargain workstreams). Coordination with existing government mechanisms is also strongly promoted. Together with the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA), IOM co-chairs the dedicated MRP platform in Ethiopia and it works closely with the UN Migration Network. In Djibouti, IOM, UNHCR and the National Office for Assistance to Refugees and Disasters (ONARS) co-chair the Mixed Migration Task Force (MMTF), while in Somalia the MMTF is led by the Office of the Special Envoy for Children and Migrants’ Rights (OSE) and co-chaired by IOM together with UNHCR. The MMTFs provide government and non-government stakeholders with platforms to exchange information, share lessons and plan for operations aimed at responding to needs of mixed groups along the Eastern Route. In Yemen, the humanitarian needs of migrants are reflected in the Humanitarian Response Plan; as such, IOM co-leads the Refugee and Migrant Multi-Sector (RMMS) with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and it also co-leads the Yemen UN Migration Network with the Humanitarian Coordinator. While the former supports the operational aspect of migrant humanitarian response, the network convenes agencies on longer-term migration governance issues. In the United Republic of Tanzania, IOM coordinates its protection work with other UN partners under the various UNSDCF outcome groups, while IOM Kenya hosts the UN Migration Network Technical Working Group on Counter Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants.

IOM’s route-based coordination and response to migration along the Eastern and Southern Routes is led by IOM’s Regional Office for East and Horn of Africa, with country operations in Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Yemen, Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania. IOM’s operational capacity is characterized by a strong field presence that allows the provision of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable migrants and host communities even in remote and dangerous areas along the routes. IOM’s Regional Office leadership builds on the progress made to enhance a coordinated response along the Eastern Route through the Regional MRP for the Horn of Africa and Yemen 2021 – 2024. The MRP strategic framework developed by IOM ensures that partners’ roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, closing potential gaps, minimizing duplications, and maximizing synergies and financial resources. The MRP also aligns with the UNSDCF for the 2030 Agenda in MRP countries in line with a humanitarian-development-peace nexus (HDPN) approach. The IOM Regional Office provides overall strategic direction, guidance, and coordination to IOM country offices for the country-level implementation of the Plan, including partners’ coordination, project management, and monitoring and evaluation. Furthermore, at the regional level, IOM ensures that all implementing country offices engage in strategic communications, including robust visibility and media engagement, to promote a balanced narrative on migration and to increase the visibility of the situation of migrants and host communities along the Eastern and Southern Routes.

At the regional level, IOM has strong multi-sectorial thematic expertise, and provides technical support to country offices, governments, and RECs. At the country level, IOM has specialized staff dedicated to the implementation and coordination of the different MRP activity areas. Staff expertise includes areas such as food security, nutrition, multi-purpose cash assistance, shelter and non-food items, health, protection, movement assistance, community stabilization, humanitarian border management, support services, and information management. IOM also maintains the flexibility to address any other needs of migrants that are identified or emerge, recognizing the dynamic nature of migrant needs, mobility, and risks along the Eastern and Southern Routes, while providing humanitarian and development actors, governments, and donors with critical and timely information on migrants’ movement patterns through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).

As the lead agency of the MRP for the Horn of Africa and Yemen, IOM promotes a collective approach to accountability to affected populations (AAP) that puts people at the centre of the response. IOM will conduct all MRP activities respecting the do-no-harm principle and applying non-discriminatory and needs-based approaches, prioritizing safety and dignity, and fostering empowerment and participation of beneficiaries. To the extent possible, IOM will implement activities that foster participation of the affected populations at all stages of the response – from the planning process to implementation and monitoring and evaluation – so that they can play an active role in decision-making.

Two-way communication channels have been established in MRP implementing countries to provide information on available assistance and to collect and respond to feedback and complaints. MRP partners have dedicated accountability systems providing beneficiaries (returnees, migrants and host communities) opportunities to participate in planning and implementation of operations along both migratory routes. In Somalia, for instance, MRP UN partners use the Integrated Complaint and Feedback Mechanism (ICFM) to facilitate communication and address complaints from affected populations, particularly mixed groups facing protection concerns along migratory routes and in communities of return. Additionally, IOM set up hotlines in Migration Response Centres (MRCs) for migrants to provide feedback on the quality and timing of assistance (medical, psychosocial support, non-food items etc.).

In Djibouti, IOM ensures that beneficiaries are involved in programme design and implementation by regularly engaging with them through various participatory activities. Migrant committees have been established within IOM’s MRC, where age, gender and ethnicity-sensitive focus group discussions (FGDs) are held frequently to provide beneficiaries with an opportunity to share their needs, questions and concerns or to request information. Beneficiaries' feedback is also taken into account through the Feedback and Complaint Mechanism available at the MRC in Obock.

IOM Yemen maintains its commitment to AAP by adhering to the principles of do no harm, safety, and non-discrimination in all project activities guided by IOM's Accountability to Affected Populations Framework. The Organization works closely with relevant community groups, including women and girls, to identify priority services, times, and locations for project activities to ensure safe and dignified access to support and provide assistance for all. AAP is ensured through regular consultations and focus group discussions with community leaders, mobilizers, and beneficiaries. Additionally, to further promote the community's voice and ownership in project activities, community committees have been established in target sites.

In line with IOM’s commitments to protect affected populations from sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), a range of measures will be undertaken to prevent, mitigate the risks of, and respond to SEA. Measures may include but are not limited to identifying and developing SEA risk mitigation actions to be integrated into all sectors of response; strengthening the capacity of frontline workers, implementing partners, national authorities and others to address SEA; strengthening or establishing where needed, complaint and feedback mechanisms that are safe and accessible for affected populations to report SEA concerns; supporting and actively participating in inter-agency and collective PSEA response at country and/or regional level; and taking steps to ensure that SEA survivors, in addition to GBV survivors, have access to quality and timely assistance and support services.

The MRP for the Horn of Africa and Yemen’s overall implementation is led by governments and supported by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), and other partners (think tanks, academic institutions, etc.). The Plan is integrated into the Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration for East and Horn of Africa (RMFM), an inter-state consultation mechanism on migration bringing together 11 states from the East and Horn of Africa region engaging with the Gulf States to jointly address labour migration policies, foster labour mobility and protect the fundamental rights of migrant workers. The RMFM contributes to the MRP's objectives to facilitate safe, regular and orderly migration though exploring gender appropriate and child sensitive inter-regional approaches, to promote labour mobility, skills mobility partnerships including with the private sector and bilateral and multilateral labour migration agreements, advancement of ethical recruitment, as well as relevant pre-departure and post-arrival trainings and health assessments for migrant workers to meet the standards of receiving states.

In Ethiopia, IOM works closely with the National Partnership Coalition (NPC) on Migration. The coordination with governmental counterparts is ensured through exchange of information on migration matters to ensure a harmonized migration response, and it entails direct collaboration on direct assistance activities, capacity development and policy support. Key governmental counterparts include the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA), the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) and their regional and local branches, Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC), and Bole International Airport authorities.

In Somalia, IOM has a good cooperation and partnership with government counterparts leading migration management at both the federal and state levels. IOM has a formal cooperation agreement with the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Migration, Returnees and Children's Rights (OSPE) to deliver interventions contributing to migration management including coordination mechanism at federal level. In Puntland and Somaliland, IOM and partners collaborate closely with the government led MMTF, co-chaired by IOM and UNHCR. Under OSPE leadership, a whole-of-government approach is promoted to address migration-related challenges, eventually translating into a National Coordination Mechanisms on Migration (NCM). Building on the Government's commitment for the protection and assistance of vulnerable migrants, IOM strengthens capacities of frontline actors, including government institutions, through relevant trainings on counter trafficking, protection and reintegration to provide appropriate forms of assistance to the most vulnerable. Additionally, IOM supported the Somali National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) to establish a Technical Working Group (TWG) on Migration and Displacement Data with the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and disseminating migration and displacement data.

In Djibouti, IOM works closely with the Ministry of Interior, the National Coordination Mechanism (NCM) for Migration, the Ministry of Women and Family Affairs (MFF) and local authorities by providing capacity developments on migration governance. IOM also supports the development of the National Strategy for Migration and its Action Plan. Additionally, support to the Ministry of Health is ensured through the provision of technical equipment. IOM Djibouti chairs the UN Migration Network, which supports the efforts of the Government to implement the Global Compact on Migration. Together with UNHCR and the National Office for Assistance to Refugees and Disasters (ONARS), IOM co-chairs the MMTF to coordinate and share information on mixed migration and protection. The NCM, with support from IOM, serves as a platform to engage all relevant stakeholders in discussions and reflections on migration-related activities. IOM also implements activities in collaboration with the National Statistics Office, border management actors, the National Office of Disaster and Risk Management, and the Ministry of Environment and Durable Development. Technical meetings with government counterparts are organized regularly to identify their needs and priorities and work together towards the implementation of activities identified in the National Strategy.

Although Yemen remains politically fragmented, with two governments operating from Sana’a (De Facto Government) and Aden (Internationally Recognized Government), IOM’s widespread presence across the country allows for coordination on migration matters. While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains IOM’s main interlocuter, the Organization coordinates its migrant response activities with: the Immigration, Passports and Naturalization Authority (IPNA) for operational purposes and advocacy for migrants, notably in the framework of Humanitarian Voluntary Return (VHR); the Ministry of Public Health and Population, for operations on migrant health activities as well as the inclusion of migrants into public health programs; the National Committee for Refugee Affairs (NCRA), the dedicated entity for coordination on migration governance and new arrivals into Yemen. Currently only operational on Sana’a, the committee has representatives from all relevant ministries and departments relevant to refugee and migrant affairs. Engagement on migration governance will pave the way for future capacity building on technical areas.

In Kenya, government counterparts include the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MOLSP), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the Counter Trafficking in Persons Secretariat (CTIP) and the NCM. Other counterparts include the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. In Kenya for instance, the government has put in place a national referral mechanism (NRM) for victims of trafficking, which guides stakeholders on identification, screening, assistance, and referral. Additionally, the NCM housed at the Immigration Department brings together the actors in migration management, to ensure a wholistic approach in programming and assistance of migrants. Lastly, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the National Employment Authority (NEA) have established a community feedback mechanism such as a hotline and an oversight mechanism meant to identify migrants at risk at the community level and individuals in need of assistance.

For 2024 MRP cycle, in the United Republic of Tanzania, IOM will collaborate with the Immigration Services Department within the Ministry of Home Affairs on documentation and with the Police Force and the Prisons Services Department on security and safety of migrants. The collaboration with the Anti-Trafficking Secretariat will facilitate the identification of victims of trafficking and will ensure that appropriate support mechanisms are in place. Lastly, synergies with national health services will be established to promote the health and well-being of migrants.

Additionally, IOM works with Ethiopian and Somali diplomatic authorities in counties of transit and destination or the provision of assistance to their nationals, including consular services for travel documents issuance.

Key Operating Modalities

Cross-cutting priorities

Objective
Saving lives and protecting people on the move

$69,288,174

Funding required

311,919

People Targeted

Entities Targeted

International migrant, Local population / community

Primary target groups

Description of People and Entities Targeted

Beneficiaries under this objective include departing migrants, transiting migrants, stranded migrants, returnees, migrants at destination and host communities in need of life-saving assistance and tailored protection. Departing and transiting migrants face life-threatening situations, including extreme heat and rugged terrains. Lack of access to essential services poses significant threats to their safety. Furthermore, migrants with irregular status are more exposed to grave risks of violence, exploitation, and abuse. Critical protection concerns include gender-based violence, kidnapping, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, movement restrictions, detention, discrimination, and xenophobia. Migrant women and children are among the most vulnerable to these protection risks and vulnerabilities.
The variety of return movements including voluntary, spontaneous, and non-voluntary returns call for lifesaving and protection responses for returnees. Humanitarian assistance is equally needed to support host communities interacting with migrants along the route, whose depleted resources limit their abilities to assist them. Government officials will also benefit from training and technical assistance on humanitarian assistance and protection.

Funding confirmed 19%

81% Funding gap

Basic needs, including food and multi-purpose cash assistance

IOM provides direct humanitarian assistance to vulnerable migrants – including stranded migrants, returnees, unaccompanied and separated children, people at risk of gender-based violence and victims of human trafficking. Food and nutrition assistance will be combined with other multi-sectorial interventions to respond to beneficiaries’ basic needs. In particular, IOM will:

Provide multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA) to vulnerable returning migrants to enable them to purchase items to meet their basic needs such as food, clothes, shoes and hygiene items, as well as services upon arrival, including onward transportation to their places of origin;
Ensure in-kind food and nutrition assistance at IOM’s MRCs, transit centres, support desks, and mobile patrols in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen;
Distribute hot meals to Somali returnees hosted in Mogadishu prior to their return to their communities of origin to complement temporary accommodation and non-food items (NFIs) assistance offered in transit centres;
Partner with the World Food Programme (WFP) for the distribution of food vouchers at IOM support desks in Djibouti.

Funding required

$7,783,639

Plan types

Direct health support

Health support will be ensured through the procurement of medical supplies and the provision of primary and secondary healthcare as follows:

Provide primary healthcare assistance in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Somalia and Yemen to respond to the medical needs of vulnerable migrants and returnees, including those in distress, in transit and in detention, as well as survivors of gender-based violence. Assistance will include medical screenings, basic treatments, and immediate medical support. Primary health services will be provided in MRCs and transit centers, as well at IOM Assistance Points and through Migration Response Points and mobile patrols.
Provide secondary healthcare, including referral of cases in need of specialized assistance. In particular:
- In Somalia, provide medium-term medical support at transit and exit points and will refer migrants in need of specialized care;
- In Ethiopia, process referrals for secondary healthcare for returnees at IOM assistance points;
- In the United Republic of Tanzania, provide migrants in transit or in detention services with comprehensive medical assistance from local medical facilities;
- In Djibouti, facilitate the referral of migrants to secondary health services through its transit centres.
- In Yemen, secondary healthcare is in line with the Yemen Minimum Service Package (MSP) guidelines, including essential trauma care, reproductive health, vaccination, screening and referrals to secondary health facilities for emergency support as needed, and also includes mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).

Funding required

$5,665,085

Funding confirmed

$412,686

Last updated: 08 Oct 2024

Plan types

Funding confirmed

93%

Funding gap

Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian response

Migrants travelling along the Eastern and Southern Routes frequently experience trauma, stress, and mental health issues due to the hardships they face during their outbound and return journeys, including violence and gender-based violence, loss of loved ones, and uncertainty about their future.

In line with the IOM Manual on Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in Emergencies and Displacement, IOM will implement MHPSS interventions aiming at reducing psychosocial vulnerabilities and promote resilience of migrants and affected communities. Key activities include:

Offer access to multi-layered MHPSS assistance in Migrant Resource Centres, transit centres, support desks and other IOM facilities;
Train all actors interacting with vulnerable populations in core MHPSS concepts and skills including communication skills and taking a psychosocially informed approach;
Provide psychological first aid (PFA), and focused support such as counselling and support groups to migrants in distress;
Establishing peer support (e.g. buddy-to-buddy) systems leveraging well-integrated returnees in hotspots of return to support incoming returnees;
Implement psychoeducation and community support activities that will contribute to the overall improvement of migrants’ mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. Activities will include socio-relational, recreational, cultural and non-formal education activities, for migrants to strengthen their social connectedness, social functioning, coping strategies and stress management techniques;
Enable access to specialized mental health care services through direct service provision or referral to psychotherapy and psychiatric consultations to migrants with severe mental health problems including for victims of trafficking;
Train relevant stakeholders to strengthen their capacities to provide multi-layered MHPSS assistance.

Funding required

$563,300

Funding confirmed

$41,352

Last updated: 08 Oct 2024

Plan types

Funding confirmed

93%

Funding gap

Movement assistance

To respond to the vulnerabilities generated by the complex movement dynamics across the Eastern and the Southern Routes, IOM will implement the following operations:

Voluntary humanitarian return (VHR) to Ethiopia and Somalia from Yemen: Humanitarian evacuation assistance constitutes an immediate life-saving option for stranded migrants unable to return to their country of origin. Assistance provided will include outreach, counselling, vulnerability screening, protection assessments, family tracing for unaccompanied and separated children, consular services, fit-to-travel medical screening, pre-departure assistance, movement assistance, logistics support and post-arrival assistance.
Onward transportation assistance (OTA) to returnees: In Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, IOM will support returning migrants in distress with onward transportation support to their communities of origin. When necessary, OTA will be complemented with medical care, temporary shelter, and food assistance.

Funding required

$18,513,185

Funding confirmed

$2,070,345

Last updated: 08 Oct 2024

Plan types

11%

Funding confirmed

89%

Funding gap

Protection

Under its 2024 MRP protection portfolio, IOM will:

Provide general protection services for migrants along the Eastern and Southern Routes through:
- The establishment of a regional emergency fund for protection assistance for vulnerable migrants in countries of origin, transit and destination;
- Protection risks assessments and provision of direct and lifesaving assistance at (MRCs), transit centres, support desks and through mobile teams;
- Protection monitoring visits in remote locations along the routes in detention centres;
- Referral of migrants to specialized protection services offered by MRC partners.
Ensure migrants’ access to specialized protection services, including:
- Child protection services such as family tracing, family reunification, access to education, referral of unaccompanied and separated children and assistance to migrant children in detention;
- Protection services to victims of trafficking and other at-risk groups;
- Specialized assistance on GBV response, including awareness activities for women migrant workers;
- Specialized services to migrant victims of human rights violations.
Enhance government and frontline actors’ capacities on counter-trafficking, counter-smuggling, case management, referral mechanisms, integrated border governance, child protection, GBV, and identification of special needs.
Promote community-based protection initiatives, including peer counselling and information-sharing;
Strengthen stakeholders' expertise on migrant deaths and missing migrants management.

Funding required

$12,175,574

Funding confirmed

$3,441,151

Last updated: 08 Oct 2024

Plan types

28%

Funding confirmed

72%

Funding gap

Provision of water, sanitation and hygiene in emergencies

Access to water, basic sanitation, and minimum hygiene conditions at border points, MRCs, transit centres and other facilities are among the most crucial needs of migrants in transit along the Eastern and Southern Routes.
Through its WASH interventions, IOM will assist both migrants and host communities with WASH services and infrastructures that meet minimum standards. In particular:

IOM Djibouti will renovate water infrastructures in key migration hotspot areas to alleviate social tensions over shared resources and avoid health issues;
WASH interventions will be designed in an age and gender-sensitive manner and will foresee menstrual hygiene management (MHM) activities, including the distribution of sanitary dignity kits for migrant women and girls.

Funding required

$136,896

Funding confirmed

$5,092

Last updated: 08 Oct 2024

Plan types

Funding confirmed

97%

Funding gap

Shelter and settlements

Migrants on the move are exposed to extreme weather, overcrowded and unsanitary conditions in detention centres, makeshift shelters and spontaneous settlements. Access to safe and adequate shelter to protect them from the elements and provision of non-food items (NFIs) is essential to ensure them dignified living conditions. In the framework of its humanitarian route-based response, IOM will:

Offer shelter services to migrants at key entrance and departure points along the Eastern and Southern Routes in MRCs, transit centres, shelters, and other facilities. Special focus will be granted to unaccompanied and separated children, women, and girls;
Equip and refurbish existing shelter facilities, in line with international minimum standards;
Provide temporary shelter and NFIs for returning distressed migrants in countries of origin;
Distribute basic NFIs kits to both transiting and returning migrants in MRCs, transit centres, and transit locations. In Djibouti, NFI distribution will be extended to vulnerable host communities in selected areas;
Undertake quarterly visits to detention centres to provide NFIs to the vulnerable migrants in detention in the United Republic of Tanzania. In coordination with government counterparts, IOM will identify dignified accommodation centres to avoid detention of vulnerable migrants, notably unaccompanied and separated children.

Funding required

$10,248,352

Funding confirmed

$1,218,470

Last updated: 08 Oct 2024

Plan types

11%

Funding confirmed

89%

Funding gap

Humanitarian border management and services for citizens abroad

Through its humanitarian border management (HBM) activities, IOM provides capacity-building assistance to Member State Governments wishing to establish adequate response mechanisms to protect nationals and foreigners crossing the border while ensuring border security. Under its HBM portfolio, IOM will:

Carry out capacity-building activities to support border and migration management processes for Integrated Border Management Committees (IBMCs) in Somalia;
Train border officials on humanitarian border management and humanitarian assistance;
Pilot a border pass system at Bole International airport in Ethiopia;
Provide technical assistance to improve border and migration management processes in Djibouti by:
- Supporting the creation of an e-visa system for passengers;
- Reinforcing travel identification management capacities (Advance Passenger Information - API);
- Strengthening the application of the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) border management information system.
Support the government of Djibouti in setting up a regularization system for migrants in the country.

Funding required

$1,450,000

Plan types

Displacement tracking

IOM will conduct displacement tracking activities to collect and analyse data on the mobility patterns, profiles, vulnerabilities and needs of migrants. As quantitative and qualitative information remains scarce, this component is crucial to generate evidence to inform the provision of tailored assistance to vulnerable migrants and host communities. In particular, IOM will:

Strengthen its regional DTM Flow Monitoring network in the Horn of Africa to systematically monitor population movements, analyse trends and disseminate information through the publication of regional and country reports;
Conduct flow monitoring across borders in key transit locations in Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya and Yemen, including entry and exit points, recording arrivals as well as qualitative data collection through its Flow Monitoring Survey (FMS);
Produce Flow Monitoring Registry (FMR) dashboards based on the information on the volume and profile of migrants of populations transiting at high mobility Flow Monitoring Points (FMPs);
Conduct joint needs assessments in countries along the Eastern and Southern Routes; monitoring missing and deceased migrants at FMPs in East and Horn of Africa and enhancing collaboration and capacity for missing migrant Data management;
Conduct a DTM Village Assessment Survey (VAS) in Ethiopia focusing on returnees, including mapping of infrastructure and services, an assessment of the socioeconomic status of returnees and of the villages' absorption capacity;
Conduct a Participatory Migrant Mapping (PMM) in strategic locations in Yemen (common transit points) to gather information on migrant profiles, migration routes and vulnerabilities to better understand migration to, from and within Yemen as well as to identify potential new FMPs in the context of FMR and the upcoming FMS tool.

Funding required

$5,665,269

Funding confirmed

$1,014,564

Last updated: 08 Oct 2024

Plan types

17%

Funding confirmed

83%

Funding gap

Support services for response actors

Support services to response actors will include:

Mechanisms to provide a coordinated response along the Eastern and Southern Routes, including MRP partners coordination and support to the Mixed Migration Task Forces.
Cross-border cooperation and technical assistance to bilateral and inter-state dialogues, including the RMFM and a regional dialogue on the Southern Route.
Support to government-led initiatives for the establishment of national strategies on migration and referral mechanisms.
Capacity strengthening for Government institutions, including workshops and trainings on lifesaving assistance, referrals, migration, migration governance, environment and climate change and international migration law.
Provision of equipment and infrastructure to government entities, including assistance for the rehabilitation of border management posts in Ethiopia, Somalia and the United Republic of Tanzania.
Strengthening private sector engagement on safe migration through the establishment of ethical recruitment systems in Somalia and Kenya
Route-based research on migration dynamics including the impact of the Sudan conflict, protection, trafficking and smuggling, the climate-migration-security nexus and network migration.
Border assessments to produce a complete overview of the migration and border management structure, allowing for proper identification of development needs and requirements in Yemen.
Communications products published to highlight the key needs of migrants and host communities along the Eastern and Southern Routes, including resource mobilization-focused products.
Cross-border protection coordination mechanisms and strengthening state protection capacity, coordination of the Migrant Protection Working Group and child protection assessment in Ethiopia and Djibouti.
Provision of life-saving assistance and search and rescue trainings to Djiboutian border management officials.

Funding required

$7,086,874

Funding confirmed

$1,564,694

Last updated: 08 Oct 2024

Plan types

22%

Funding confirmed

78%

Funding gap

Multi-sectoral support

Includes funding which supports multi-sectoral interventions or cannot be attributed to a specific activity area.

Funding confirmed

$3,566,725

Last updated: 08 Oct 2024

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Checking the level of water during Mobile Patrol Unit in the Desert near Obock. © Eva Sibanda / IOM 2023

Objective
Driving solutions to displacement

$18,613,053

Funding required

660,179

People Targeted

Entities Targeted

International migrant, Local population / community

Primary target groups

Description of People and Entities Targeted

Target beneficiaries within this objective include departing migrants, transiting migrants, returning migrants, migrants at destination and host communities in countries comprising the Eastern and Southern Routes. In particular, the response will target at-risk and vulnerable groups through inclusive, resilience-based strategies at the individual and community-based levels.

Departing and transiting migrants originate from Ethiopia and Somalia, leaving their country of origin primarily for economic reasons, followed by environmental shocks and conflict. Returning migrants often arrive in their countries and communities of origin in a vulnerable state, facing stigmatization and struggling to reintegrate sustainably. The likelihood of re-migration remains high, especially when a return to conflict-affected regions is not possible. Host communities’ precarious socio-economic conditions due to protracted periods of drought and other climate-related events are further exacerbated by displacement dynamics, as the scarcity of resources leads more individuals to migrate irregularly.

Relevant governments and local partners working on the inclusion of migrants in national policies and participating in initiatives to improve socioeconomic outcomes for migrants and communities of origin, transit, and destination will also be targeted under Objective 2.

Community stabilization

Community stabilization initiatives along the Eastern and Southern Routes will focus on:

Strengthen social cohesion between migrants, community of return and host communities. In Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia, special attention will be given to activities that foster resilience against environmental degradation and climate change, including community agriculture, plastic recycling, and irrigation schemes;
Provide reintegration support to address the economic, social, and psychosocial dimension of return while mitigating tensions between returnees and community members. Depending on the context and specific vulnerabilities, community-based reintegration (CBR), cash for reintegration or tailored individual reintegration support may be offered to returnees, including victims of trafficking;
Support income-generating activities and strengthen employability opportunities of migrants and receiving communities’ members. IOM Kenya will implement financial literacy trainings and community restoration projects offering employment opportunities for the most vulnerable, while partnering with small business enterprises to provide mentorship opportunities for returnees;
Conduct awareness-raising campaigns and community sensitization initiatives about the risks of irregular migration, legal pathways, and available services to support migrants and potential migrants in making informed decisions.
Provide rapid stabilization support and access to justice initiatives aimed at re-building the social contract between Somali citizens and state institutions, thus facilitating longer-term interventions.

Funding required

$18,613,053

Funding confirmed

$49,385

Last updated: 08 Oct 2024

Plan types

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