Yemen: aid groups demand access to Houthi-run migrant centre after fire

At least eight people died in the blaze and some of the injured are in critical condition

Smoke billows above Sanaa after air strikes on rebel positions on March 7, 2021, the same day as a fire at a migrant detention centre near the Yemeni capital. EPA

The International Organisation for Migration called for urgent humanitarian access to people injured in a deadly fire at an immigration holding centre in Yemen's Sanaa, on Sunday.

Initial reports suggested more than 100 people at the site suffered burns, while eight deaths were reported.

The fire broke out in a hangar that hosted nearly 900 people, predominantly from Ethiopia, who were detained trying to cross the war-torn country to Saudi Arabia.

It comes after reports that hundreds of migrants have been detained and tortured by Houthi militias in Sanaa and other areas under Houthi control, in northern Yemen.

On Wednesday, Yemen's government released a statement calling for an urgent inquiry into the blaze.

"We call for a transparent and independent international investigation to reveal details of the crime and hold the perpetrators to account, pressure Houthis to stop recruiting and exploiting refugees in combat, release all detainees in respect of Yemen's obligations and ensure freedom of movement or voluntary return," said Yemen’s Information Minister Muammer Al Aryani.

Aid agencies say it is impossible to know the severity of the disaster until they can get access.

"The total number of migrants who died in the fire at the Immigration, Passports and Naturalisation Authority Immigration Holding Facility in Sanaa remains unconfirmed, as official records have yet to be released," Olivia Headon, media and public relations officer at IOM-Yemen told The National.

More than 170 people were treated for injuries, with many remaining in critical condition, she said. The death toll was expected to increase.

"The reason behind the fire outbreak is still unconfirmed so far," Ms Headon said.

The injured were transferred to public hospitals supported by the IOM in Sanaa.

"We have been supporting the public hospitals of Al Jomhoori, Al Thawarah and Al Kuwaiti with supplies as they are treating the wounded people," Ms Headon said.

She called for urgent help for the IOM medical teams to get access to support the treatment of those affected by the fire.

She said it was important that the migrant community in Sanaa are respected and supported now.

"The migrant community in Sanaa should also be given space to respectfully mourn and bury their dead ones, also supported to have family tracing take place for those affected," she said.

A dangerous crossing

Sea routes linking Yemen to the Horn of Africa are seen as a viable, albeit dangerous, option by thousands of migrants who cross on a daily basis, en route to the Gulf states, seeking jobs and a better life.

Nearly 138,000 migrants from the Horn of Africa attempted to pass through Yemen, heading to the Gulf states in 2019.

This number dropped to 37,500 in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions, according to reports by the IOM.

Migrants in Yemen are vulnerable to human trafficking operations, many of them linked to armed militias.

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Gallery: Yemen's internally displaced people