Médecins Sans Frontières - Yemen

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF140648

Date taken / Date Recorded 10/08/2013 12:00 AM

Country Yemen

Commissioning section MSF-FRANCE

Copyright MSF

Usage Rights (MSF) Internal Use Only

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★★ (E)

Video format h264 (Constrained Baseline)

Duration 1m58s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 118.61 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist Heading for the wealthy Gulf states, many African migrants fall into the hands of human traffickers.Last April, Yemeni authorities freed hundreds of them. At the Sana’a detention center, Awel, an Ethiopian, tells his story. Unemployed at home, he decided to take his chances in Saudi Arabia. His route took him across Somaliland and Djibouti to Yemen.He was taken prisoner there and tortured by traffickers before managing to escape.Awel (in English) They took me in front of the others who were there and they started torturing me. They told me I had to call and get their money now. The same night, they hung me from my fingers on the roof. It was very painful, really. Most of these men have had the same horrific experience - extortion, torture and, sometimes, rape. Those who were freed in April by the authorities have already returned home. This has encouraged many other migrants, left on their own, to leave the country. They have come to the Sana’a detention center, which has quickly become overcrowded. MSF launched a mental health care program there.ESPERANZA LEAL, MSF PSYCHOLOGIST (in English)They are very worried about the future, they don’t know what is going to happen to them, they don’t know when they are going to be deported. They feel anxious because of the uncertain future. Most of them don’t have money because they spent it all during the trip, so they are anxious because they don’t know what to do when they come back to their places.Since April 4,000 migrants have already returned to their country of origin. However, authorities estimate that 30,000 Ethiopians are taking their chances along the Saudi Arabian border, still at the mercy of the traffickers.

Yemen – migrant rescued

Yemen – migrant rescued