IOM is concerned about the wellbeing of thousands of Ethiopian
migrants stranded in Yemen's northwest region of Haradh, near the
border with Saudi Arabia, following an ongoing outbreak of dengue
fever which started last month.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by a
virus. Its symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle joints pains,
skin rash and spontaneous bleeding. Depending on individual immune
system response, the disease can lead to death, especially in
babies and children.

Although no deaths have been reported so far in Haradh, the
outbreak is significantly adding to the health problems experienced
by the estimated 12,000 stranded migrants, who include an estimated
3,000 Ethiopians registered with IOM wishing to return home.

Some 17 cases have already been reported at IOM's Haradh clinic
this month, five of whom are IOM staff. The clinic, which is
located in IOM's Migrant Response Centre, provides emergency care,
assisted medical referrals and psychosocial aid to between 70-100
migrants a day.

The Migrant Response Centre, which was set up in 2010 to house
150 vulnerable migrants, now houses over 300. IOM, in collaboration
with WHO and local health ministry officials, is carrying out
periodic fumigation in and around the building to kill the
mosquitos.

Most of the migrants arrive in Haradh hungry, sick and exhausted
from their long walk from the Horn of Africa in the hope of
reaching Saudi Arabia. Tightened Saudi border controls now make
this impossible and the migrants often find themselves stranded in
Haradh without adequate shelter, food or water.

To date IOM has helped over 7,000 Ethiopian migrants to return
home from Haradh, less than 10 per cent of the estimated 82,000
migrants who entered Yemen over the past 18 months.

For more information please contact:

Teresa Zakaria

IOM Yemen

Tel: +967-736700311

E-mail: "mailto:tzakaria@iom.int">tzakaria@iom.int