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Emergency Trust Fund for Africa
  • News article
  • 9 March 2018
  • 1 min read

Stranded Somalis arrive home from Libya

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"I was among 150 migrants packed into a truck by smugglers from Sudan — 100 Eritreans and 50 Somalis. They mercilessly forced us into a truck that fit only 30 people. Some of the Somali migrants were thrown out of the truck into the desert. Then we fought with others for survival. Several of my friends were killed during the conflict," Ali*, one of the returnees, said. Ali added he lost several of his Somali friends during the journey.

Ali is part of a second group of stranded Somalis arrived home from Libya on Wednesday 7 March through the EU-IOM joint initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration and in partnership with the Federal Government of Somalia, with funding from the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.

The Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) operation was arranged by IOM, while the Federal Republic of Somalia had been instrumental in supporting the safe return of Somali nationals, led by Ali Faqi, Somali Ambassador to EU, Mariam Yassin, Special Envoy for Migrants and Children’s Rights (OSE), and Ahmed Nur, Commissioner for the National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRI).

The group consisted of 13 males who had volunteered to return whilst in Libya. They follow a group of 11 who arrived in February and who have already begun their reintegration support.

*Ali's name has been changed to protect his identity.

Details

Publication date
9 March 2018
Region and Country
  • Horn of Africa
Thematic
  • Greater economic and employment opportunities
Partner
  • International Organization for Migration

Programmes in the region

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Region and Country
  • Horn of Africa
Thematic
  • Strengthening resilience of communities
Partner
  • World Food Programme

The specific objectives and focus of the interventions in Ethiopia are the following:1.

Region and Country
  • Horn of Africa
Thematic
  • Greater economic and employment opportunities
  • Improved governance and conflict prevention
  • Strengthening resilience of communities
Partner
  • Plan International
  • Save the Children
  • Danish Church Aid
  • Norwegian Refugee Council
  • International Rescue Committee

The specific objective is strengthening economic opportunities and resilience of the most vulnerable communities to human-induced and natural disaster crises, through measures that will increase livelihoods and employment, and better access to basic services.

Region and Country
  • Horn of Africa
Thematic
  • Greater economic and employment opportunities
  • Improved governance and conflict prevention
  • Strengthening resilience of communities
Partner
  • Action Contre la Faim
  • International Development Entreprises UK
  • Cordaid
  • CARE
  • Danish Church Aid
  • Vita Ethiopia
  • Save the Children
  • International Rescue Committee

To strengthen the local health systems to better deliver basic packages of health services in West Darfur with the final aim of creating a more conducive and sustainable living environment for host communities and displaced populations through: (1) greater access to and quality of primary health...

Region and Country
  • Horn of Africa
Thematic
  • Strengthening resilience of communities
Partner
  • Concern Worldwide
  • International Medical Corps

The main objective is to strengthen the local health systems to better deliver basic packages of health services in selected areas of Eastern Sudan, with the final aim of creating a more conducive and sustainable living environment for host communities, displaced populations and refugees.

Region and Country
  • Horn of Africa
Thematic
  • Strengthening resilience of communities
Partner
  • Italian Development Cooperation