Yemen a real neighbor to Somalia

While our rich and much wealthier neighbors shun Somali refugees and keep them out, Yemen - one of the poorest countries in the world - is one of the very few places that Somali refugees are warmly welcomed, allowed to freely move and work; and have free health care and education.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says 21,000 people arrived in the first six months of the year - two-thirds of the 2007 total. The highest numbers usually arrive in autumn, when sea conditions are most favourable.........read more from the Financial Times

Sadly, many who try to cross in to Yemen through the sea - die, either at the hands of pirates or the treacherous sea. But the many who manage to reach Yemen, as hard and as difficult as circumstances are here, some how manage to make a living and live a better and a much more peaceful and secure life than the one they left behind in Somalia.

Comments

Anonymous said…
My Great-grand father migrated to Somalia from Yemen. Today Yemenis welcome Somalis.
Somalis and Yemenis have close kinship that will always be secure.
I am not surprised the welcome Somalis receive from their Yemeni kins.
Anonymous said…
It's no surprise that Yemen warmly opens its doors and welcomes Somalis; but, it's surprising that our richer neighbors shut their doors to Somalis. It means that: should Yemen be in trouble and should Yemenis need refuge - these same countries will close their doors to us. That's no way to treat neighbors.
Anonymous said…
Well, this has been going on for ages! The oil rich arab countries have been shunning their fellow arabs/muslims from gaining *access* or makes it so difficult for those children born in that country into becoming citizens. Look at the countries in the west, you get treated right on humanitarian grounds. You are given basic stuff, healthcare and you are provided for until your case is heard/resolved even if you are to be deported. I know many somalis, ethiopians/eritreans have crossed over Yemen and vice versa and many have ties that bind in these countries. I still don't get the arrongance these other arab countries have. I believe in taking care of other humans if you got the means($$$)sf
Anonymous said…
Or maybe the oil rich aren't so wrong to close their doors to them. I am a Yemeni that was born and brought up in Somalia. They have always subjected us to race hate, bully etc and when the war broke out, all clans carried out ethnic cleansing whereby they raped arabs, looted our homes, and if they found nothing, killed us because according to them, if we don't have the money and gold on us, it's in our blood! Now do I care about these very people's supposed "suffering" the simple answer is NO and I have no shame in admitting
Anonymous said…
Shame on you indeed!

It's always so in war torn and conflict zones: some people always become more of monsters than we humans already are. Wherever you are now, should that place be plunged into turmoil or war - there certainly will be some who would turn into monsters and rape, loot and mercilessly slaughter. One doesn't reciprocate such behavior in kind but to the contrary.

I have heard from many how some Somalis brutalized Arabs; it doesn't mean all Somalis are like that.

My parents and Family, lived in the late 50s and early 60s in Tanzania, then Nyerere came up with his 'ujamaa' and nationalization and Arabs were the most badly affected - the Family had to flee; we have lived in Uganda and Kenya and in both too, have seen how civil and political turmoil can create real monsters. Here in Yemen, I have been through two conflicts: 1986 and 1994 - and in both, many people were slaughtered and many lost their wealths and livelihood. We lost everything when Uganda's Idi Amin was toppled. But I and my Family have no hard or bad feelings against any people; in fact - we do greatly love and have deep feelings and attachment to East Africa and its people.

It's the nature of humans to be so; Man, given the conditions, can turn into real beasts. By not caring about the plight of Somalis and by being so merciless - you are allowing yourself to be turned into the same kind of monsters and beasts who were after Arab blood in Somalia.
Anonymous said…
Somalis were the first to suffer during the civil war in Somalia. My Grandad is from Ghaydah in Yemen. My advise to those who are resentful is that the clan of the south around Mogadishu named Hawiye killed anyone and everyone who was not from their clan. This included Somali, Yemeni, Egyptian whatever.

Yemenis still live in Djibouti, yemenis even have members of parliament in Djibouti, they also own almost half of the businesses. How many Somalis are in the Yemeni parliament? NONE. So let us not all judge everyone.

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