VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #0597/01 0981622
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081622Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1569
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0981
RHRMDAW/NAVCENTMETOCCEN BAHRAIN
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0282
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0450

UNCLAS SANAA 000597 
 
NOFORN 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP AND PRM 
CAIRO FOR REFCOORD MARY DOETSCH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL PGOV YM
SUBJECT: VISIT TO REFUGEE AREAS IN YEMEN INDICATES NEED FOR 
CONTINUED FUNDING 
 
REF: SANAA 433 
 
¶1. (SBU/NF) SUMMARY: A continued increase in the flow of migrants 
and draw down in international funding of NGOs threatens an already 
vulnerable and underserved community in the Basateen urban area and 
Kharaz refugee camp in the south of Yemen.  A reduction in the 
funding of programs will have a detrimental effect on the refugees 
in these areas.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU/NF) On April 4 and 5, 2009 Refugee Officer visited the 
Kharaz refugee camp and the Basateen urban area in the south of 
Yemen.  The Kharaz refugee camp is located approximately 67 miles 
west of Aden. The camp's population is constantly fluctuating due to 
the movement of refugees to other urban areas and new arrivals. The 
population is currently estimated at just over 12,000.  The camp has 
no fence or set borders.  It contains the most vulnerable refugees 
who have little access to outside resources and rely on the support 
services provided in the camp for food, water, shelter, and 
protection.  While the conditions are generally quite difficult, 
residents have ample access to water, are given monthly food rations 
that provide basic nutrition from WFP, and have shelter provided by 
UNHCR, either tents or block housing.  A local police force of 56 
officers provides basic protection for the camp as long as relations 
with the surrounding villages remain cooperative. 
 
¶3. (SBU/NF) The largest problem at the Kharaz camp is the 
relationship with the local villages and tribes.  The local 
population regards the treatment of refugees as better than their 
own treatment.  In response to this, they will often block roads to 
the camp or cut water pipes in an effort to force UNHCR, NGOs, and 
the ROYG to provide them with similar services.  UNHCR and the NGOs 
have provided water, medical, and school services to these local 
populations to improve relations, including trucking water to a 
village 10 miles away in cooperation with the ROYG.  While these 
attempts to improve the relationship between the camp and the local 
villages have been successful, the threat of road closure at any 
time remains a real concern. 
 
¶4. (SBU/NF) Secondary problems at the Kharaz camp include 
overcrowding at the primary school and the residents lack of 
activities leading to disruptions.  Refugee Officer observed 
classrooms of over 100 students in the primary school.  The school 
lacks both the space and teachers to accommodate the population of 
school-age children.  Most of the children were born in the camp 
after the arrival of their parents.  UNHCR and NGOs have attempted 
to provide activities including sports, recreation, and cultural 
activities as well as vocational training and education for adults. 
These programs have been successful in reducing incidents of 
disruption at the camp by residents but there is a growing sense of 
hopelessness among residents as reported by the refugee leaders. 
 
¶5. (SBU/NF) The Basateen urban area is located approximately nine 
miles west of Aden.  Basateen was settled in the 1990s by both 
Yemeni returnees from Somalia and Somali refugees after the outbreak 
of civil unrest in Somalia.  The area is completely unplanned and 
lacks basic urban infrastructure.  The returnees and refugees built 
small dwellings using locally collected materials and corrugated 
metal.  Housing and infrastructure are mainly created on an ad hoc 
basis as needs arise.  Currently, the population is estimated at 
30,000 to 40,000 by the government but UNHCR estimates it between 
40,000 to 50,000.  While there are some local residents, most of 
these numbers are Somali.  UNHCR estimates 33% are registered as 
refugees.  Residents tend to be marginally more self sufficient than 
those in the Kharaz camp as they have access to outside remittances 
or skills useful in the labor market.  UNHCR and NGOs provide a 
variety of services to the residents of Basateen.  While there are 
no food distributions, there are programs offering counseling 
services, vocational training, microfinance loans, a primary school, 
two medical clinics, and two wells for water.  UNHCR and their 
implementing partners are also work on infrastructure improvements 
such as solid waste management and sewage. 
 
¶6. (SBU/NF) Major problems reported by residents of the Basateen 
urban area include the lack of a consistent and clean source of 
water.  Rumors in Basateen among the residents that the wells are 
contaminated have made residents wary of using the water.  While 
UNHCR, NGOs, and the medical staff report that these rumors are 
false, the fear of the residents remains.  Particularly, the primary 
school has seen an increased cost of trucking in water to meet the 
demands of the students because of a lack of consistent pumping of 
water from the well source.  Sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) 
has also been on the rise.  In response UNHCR and an implementing 
partner, Intersos, have set up a community center where women have 
access to counseling services and legal remedies.  UNHCR sub-office 
head, Leila Jane Nassif, also reported that, as the city of Aden 
 
 
expands towards Basateen, there is concern that the residents will 
be evicted from the area as it develops. 
 
¶7. (SBU/NF) In an April 4, 2009 meeting with UNHCR and local NGOs, 
participants reported two major concerns.  One is the lack of a 
comprehensive national refugee law to provide initial protection for 
all migrants arriving in Yemen until UNHCR or the ROYG has an 
opportunity to make a refugee status determination.  The second was 
the drawdown in funding sources for programs because of the global 
financial crisis.  UNHCR also reports that, in September of 2008, 
the ROYG ordered local forces to arrest and deport all non-Somali 
new arrivals.  This order has had limited enforcement.  The Lahj and 
Taiz governorates have been enforcing the order to arrest but the 
other governorates have not.  There have been no reports of migrants 
being deported.  UNHCR has not had access to any of the arrestees, 
who are often moved to other detention facilities before UNHCR 
arrives. 
 
¶8. (SBU/NF) According to UNHCR statistics, the flow of migrants into 
Yemen increased from 12,837 to 16,173 in the first three months of 
2009 as compared to the same period in 2008.  This represents a 26% 
percent increase in new arrivals over 2008.  UNHCR and other NGOs 
expect this trend to continue through 2009.  Each year the numbers 
of new arrivals is increasing as both civil strife and economic 
pressures in the Horn of Africa continue.  Of the increase, almost 
all are non-Somali migrants, usually of Ethiopian nationality. 
Non-Somali migrants are particularly vulnerable in Yemen as they are 
often denied refugee status determination by the ROYG and are then 
subject to arrest and possible deportation. 
 
¶9. COMMENT: (SBU/NF) As the number of migrants arriving on the 
shores of Yemen continues to increase, the stress put on UNHCR and 
NGOs that serve those communities is also increasing.  This 
increased pressure comes at a time when funding for programs serving 
these migrants is decreasing.  While post understands that PRM has 
not been able to monitor programs in Kharaz and Basateen since 2003 
and that there has been a sharp decrease in the PRM budget, the 
programs there serve an increasingly vulnerable community whose need 
is growing daily.  A reduction in funding will have a detrimental 
effect on these areas. END COMMENT.