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UNHCR, 27 Oct 2015
As at 27 October 2015, statistics from the International Organization for Migration and the Djiboutian government put the number of people of mixed nationalities who have arrived in Djibouti from Yemen since 26 March at 29,487. These include 15,761 Yemeni nationals, as well 11,822 transiting third country nationals and 1,904 Djiboutian returnees. Children under 18 make up roughly 34% of the 15,761 Yemeni nationals in Djibouti. They are deeply affected by the events that forced them to flee their country and the uncertainty that has now become part of their daily lives. While 5,150 of the Yemenis have registered as refugees and live in Markazi camp in Obock, others are in Djibouti city, often living off their savings and registering as refugees when they run out of means of support. On 26 August the UNHCR Regional Refugee Coordinator (RRC) for the Yemen situation paid visits to Yemenis in Djibouti city to get a better understanding of the conditions in which they live. In one such visit, the RRC met members of four refugee families, who live together in a three-room apartment. At least 20 family members were present, the vast majority being children and adolescents. The youngsters were asked if they felt safe in Djibouti. “Yes,” they answered. We can move around freely. We walk to the shops without any problem”. When asked what their major concerns were, a boy in his teens answered on behalf of many of his companions saying, “We don’t go to school here. We are missing out on education. School fees are too high if you are not Djiboutian”. Another boy added, “In Yemen we are taught in English and Arabic. Here they teach in French, so we don’t fit in the school system. We hope a way will be found for us to go back to school so that we don’t waste our education”. Some of the older, out-of-school youth worried about lack of job opportunities. One young man said, “I completed secondary school in Yemen, and I have been looking for work since we arrived, but it is not easy”. The RRC asked them what they did to occupy their time during the day. The boys and girls answered in a chorus “WhatsApp!”, their faces lighting up. This summed up the void that the war in Yemen has brought into their lives. While the young people have the freedom of movement, they felt confined because they had little that was productive or entertaining to occupy their days. To help ensure that refugee children carry on with their education while in Djibouti, UNHCR is working with the authorities and UNICEF to find ways for the school system to incorporate them. Meanwhile UNHCR continues to visit refugees and migrants regularly in order to understand their needs and concerns so as to extend support to them.