Crisis overview
The Horn of Africa is a major migration hub, with thousands of migrants–many in irregular situations–departing, transiting, or returning each year along the Eastern and Southern Routes. Economic hardship, persistent poverty, scarce job opportunities and limited access to essential services drive these flows, exposing migrants to significant risks. The Eastern Route, the region’s busiest and most dangerous, accounted for nearly half of the over half a million movements tracked by August 2024.
Economic challenges, environmental instability, and political tensions, especially in Ethiopia, are driving this trend. Ethiopia’s agrarian economy, where approximately 95 per cent of the population relies on agriculture and subsistence farming, is highly vulnerable to environmental shifts. Despite rapid economic growth over the past decade, the country struggles to modernize and create quality jobs for its growing youth population. In regions like Amhara, Oromia, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples, widespread economic difficulties drive many to seek better opportunities abroad.
Ethiopia faces a complex mix of economic, environmental, and political challenges. With much of the population relying on agriculture, the economy remains highly vulnerable to environmental changes. Despite a decade of strong economic growth, opportunities for job creation and sector modernization are crucial to meet the needs of a growing youth population.
In regions like Amhara, Oromia, and the Southern Nations, economic pressures drive migration, often influenced by political factors. Ethiopia's diverse ethnic landscape also poses challenges in ensuring equitable power and resource distribution, contributing to perceptions of inequality and tension.Somali migrants face similar challenges in their country of origin, including economic hardship and vulnerability to climate change, but with added burdens from long-standing conflict, political instability, and generalized violence.
Migrants along the Eastern and Southern Routes face grueling conditions and limited access to essential goods and services, including food, water and medical care. These harsh journeys often lead to exploitation by smugglers and traffickers, with many migrants detained by authorities. Data from migrant response centres in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somalia reveal that over 57 per cent of registered migrants urgently need basic services, highlighting critical gaps in humanitarian assistance. A recent study in Somalia found that a staggering 93 per cent of migrants in Bosaso required immediate support, underscoring their precarious situation. Protection risks are severe: over a third of migrants passing through response centres report incidents of physical violence or psychological abuse, with 84 per cent of women and 82 per cent of men enduring physical violence during their journeys.
Bossaso, Somalia
A female migrant, part of the growing number of women and girls taking the dangerous Eastern Route.
IOMThe Eastern Route, one of the busiest and most dangerous migration routes, is predominantly used by Ethiopian migrants, with smaller numbers from Somalia. Migrants travel through Djibouti and Somalia, cross the Gulf of Aden to Yemen, and continue to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. As of August 2024, over 150,000 migrants had left Ethiopia via this route. Although most migrants on this route are men, women and children account for 31 per cent, with 25 per cent of these children traveling alone. Djibouti remains the main transit country, recording over 134,000 entries by August, compared to nearly 15,000 entering Somalia.
In Yemen, migrant arrivals have dropped significantly, with only about 13,000 recorded between January and August 2024, down from over 90,000 arrivals during the same period in 2023. This decline stems largely from an anti-irregular migration campaign in the Bab-al-Mandab region, which has forced migrants to use alternative routes, suggesting actual arrivals may be far higher than reported. Migration along the Eastern Route is bidirectional, with both outward movements and returns. By August 2024, nearly 8,500 migrants had spontaneously returned from Yemen to Djibouti and Somalia. Additionally, non-voluntary returns from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have resulted in over 84,000 migrants being sent back to Ethiopia and Somalia. Tragically, 2024 has also seen a significant rise in migrant fatalities along the Gulf of Aden, with 48 deaths and 75 missing in October 2024 alone – making it the deadliest year on this route since tracking began in 2014.
The Southern Route, extending through Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, and other Southern African countries toward South Africa, also carries serious risks. Migrants face exploitation, abuse, human trafficking, and detention. In Kenya, migrants frequently report being exposed to robbery (54 per cent), bribery and extortion (52 per cent) and risk of detention (56 per cent). Although migrants within the United Republic of Tanzania have historically faced detention, a 2024 policy change now allows returns through brokers, inadvertently fostering informal broker networks that may increase protection risks for migrants.
Aden, Yemen
Jamal, a migrant receiving mental health and psychosocial support at a community-based care centre, prepares for his journey home. The IOM-supported center provides essential protection services to vulnerable migrants.
IOM/Eva SibandaResponse priorities in 2025
By June 2024, MRP partners provided essential support to over 360,000 people, including migrants and host community members, across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Yemen. Migrants made up 67 per cent of those reached, with the remainder consisting of host community members. This assistance aligns with MRP’s strategic framework, focused on four objectives: life-saving assistance; quality, timely and inclusive protection support; access to safe and voluntary return, reintegration and community stabilization; and bolstered evidence, partnerships and coordination for effective humanitarian response and migration management along the Eastern and Southern routes. However, only 17 per cent of the financial requirements for 2024 were met, limiting the response to critical needs.
Looking at 2025, MRP will continue to scale up essential life-saving and protection assistance along the Eastern and Southern Routes. This includes providing food, non-food items, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene support, and medical assistance. Protection assistance will include mental health and psychosocial support as well as tailored assistance for victims of trafficking, gender-based violence, and human rights violations.
Aden, Yemen
Aden airport officials check travel documents for young male migrants boarding an IOM supported chartered “Yemenia” flight to Addis ababa, Ethiopia.
IOM/Eva SibandaThe response will prioritize the most vulnerable, particularly migrants in transit in Djibouti and Somalia, ensuring migrant-focused facilities remain operational to address immediate needs. Voluntary return assistance remains central to MRP’s approach, given the high number of stranded migrants in Djibouti, Somalia, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Yemen. Tailored protection assistance will support victims of trafficking, survivors of gender-based violence, and unaccompanied and separated children.
MRP will further strengthen capacity-building for government authorities and front-line actors to improve the protection response and migration management. This comprehensive strategy addresses urgent needs and promotes sustainable solutions for both migrants and host communities, fostering resilience and stability across the region.
In 2025, MRP will target 991,295 migrants and host community members, requiring an estimated US$81 million. This target focuses on those most in need, reflecting reduced humanitarian funding. Although the overall target is lower, migrant vulnerability continues to rise, especially with increasing transit migration.
2024 in review: Response highlights and consequences of inaction
MRP Response highlights/achievements:
Life-saving Assistance
171,176 people (104,581 men, 32,769 women, 17,199 boys, 11,059 girls, and 5,768 host community members) received life-saving assistance from January to June 2024.
Food
39,761 people (26,895 men, 6,378 women, 4,405 boys, 2,080 girls, and three host community members) received food and/or nutrition assistance from January to June 2024.
Non-Food Items (NFI)
41,285 people (24,483 men, 7,437 women, 4,275 boys, 2,339 girls, and 2,751 host community members) received non-food items (NFIs) from January to June 2024.
Health
18,384 people (9,803 men, 3,866 women, 1,801 boys, 1,565 girls, and 1,349 host community members) received or were referred for primary health care from January to June 2024.
Shelter
20,348 people (12,534 men, 4,382 women, 2,067 boys, and 1,365 girls) received safe and dignified accommodation from January to June 2024.
Protection
• 77,684 people (57,248 men, 4,637 women, 5,084 boys, 1,712 girls, and 9,003 host community members) received quality, timely, and inclusive protection assistance and services from January to June 2024.
• 43,800 people (39,755 men, 2,098 women, 1,323 boys, and 624 girls) received mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS services) from January to June 2024.
• 1,690 victims of trafficking (1,119 men, 272 women, 248 boys, and 51 girls) received assistance and specialized protection and GBV services from January to June 2024.
Consequences of inaction
The consequences of inaction are immense due to critical underfunding of the 2024 MRP and the unmet needs of migrants and host communities along the Eastern and Southern Routes. By September 2024, the MRP was only 17 per cent funded–an all-time low–leaving over one million migrants and host community members without life-saving aid, tailored protection assistance, or voluntary return support.
Migrants
Since the start of 2024, Somalia has recorded over 30,000 transit movements, with more than 4,000 migrants entering Hargeisa and Bossaso each month. Yet, limited resources mean only five per cent receive any form of assistance, leaving thousands at risk of exploitation, malnutrition, and dehydration.
Returnees
Returns face similar shortfalls. By the end of 2024, over 300 spontaneous returnees and nearly 2,000 non-voluntary returnees from Saudi Arabia will require immediate post-arrival support. Spontaneous returnees are migrants who choose to return voluntarily, while non-voluntary returns are those forcibly returned to their country of origin by immigration authorities. Current funding, however, covers only 13 per cent of these cases, leaving most without essential protection, onward transportation assistance, and reintegration services, heightening their risk of repeated cycles irregular migration and displacement.
Safety
In Djibouti, underfunding jeopardizes the safety of approximately 3,000 migrants, who may remain stranded in transit or forced to take perilous journeys through Yemen or the desert in 2025. Additionally, an estimated 2,450 migrants will remain stranded in Yemen without voluntary return assistance, leaving them vulnerable to violence, exploitation and extreme hardship.