Kenya - The Regional Committee on Mixed Migration for the Horn of Africa and Yemen is set to hold its sixth meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 20-21 September 2016. 

The expected outcome of the meeting is improved collaboration between governments in the Horn of Africa and Yemen, as well with international partners to effectively manage migration and improve the often terrible conditions faced by migrants in the region.

The formation of the Regional Committee on Mixed Migration follows recommendations made during the 2010 Regional Consultations held in Djibouti. The committee has met annually since 2011, and comprises representatives from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

IOM organizes the event with the support of the US State Department’s Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).

The meeting will review discussions and recommendations from last year on the topics of migration and development, detained migrants, and child protection and migration management. Expert facilitators will address areas including Migration Response Centers (MRCs), search and rescue at sea, and migrant child protection.

The Horn of Africa has unique migration challenges. Hundreds of irregular migrants from the Horn of Africa perish every year in the Gulf of Aden and the Mediterranean as they attempt to cross borders to escape conflict, drought and economic strife.

In the first eight months of 2016, 87,342 migrants arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa. At least 73 perished or are missing.

Migrants make the journey from their places of origin, mainly from Ethiopia, through Somalia and Djibouti and across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen and the Gulf States.

The Regional Committee places emphasis on strategic regional political dialogue to increase migration management capacity and improve migrant protection.

For more information contact Craig Murphy at IOM’s Regional Office for East Africa in Nairobi, Tel. +254 717711822, Email: cmurphy@iom.int