Background Information:
For the past 6 months, 30,000 Ethiopians including pregnant women and children have been detained in facilities in Saudi Arabia. Majority of these migrants were initially working in the North Eastern part of Yemen in domestic labor among other major roles before being evicted by Houthi Rebels in 2020 after being suspected for transmitting the Covid-19. Majority of these evictions were forceful, and in camps such as Al-Ghar there were witness reports of murders taken place by the Houthi Rebel during the raids. As these migrants attempted to cross the Yemen-Saudi border, they were caught in the middle of a crossfire between the Yemen and Saudi forces which resulted in further casualties at the border crossing. As a result of this border entanglement, Saudi Arabia Forces detained all the migrants who were fleeing from Yemen and put them in detention camps in a bid to control the spread of the virus.
(c) Amnesty International
Deplorable Conditions in the Detention Centers:
Satellite images obtained by Amnesty International confirmed that there are two major detention facilities holding up the thousands of Ethiopian migrants in Al Dayer & Jizan. These two facilities represent a fraction of the several detention centers established to take in the migrants, some of them being in the major cities of Mecca and Jeddah.
The immigrants have complained of the deteriorating conditions that they have been set upon, from the lack of sanitary facilities, to the lack of food and access to clean water in the facilities. All these make the lives of the migrants difficult. Majority of the migrants complained of mistreatment by harassment by the Saudi and toppled up with the overcrowded disease infested facilities, the Ethiopians have as well began to complain of deteriorating health conditions, of which have further led to the deaths of some of the detainees. This is as they are forced to sleep on their own faecal and urinal matter as well as eat from them as they continue to face day to day intimidation and harassment from the security officials at the detention facilities.
(c) Amnesty International
Satellite Images obtained by Amnesty International showing proof of Al Dayer and Jizan Camps in Saudi Arabia.
(c) Amnesty International
Plight of Women and Children
The women in the facilities have bore the same treatment if not worse in the facilities. As some of them are pregnant, they are as well exposed to the same inhumane conditions which puts the health of their health and that of other children in the facilities at risk. Through an interview done by Amnesty International, inmates confirmed that they saw two children who had died as a result of illness contracted while in the detention center and further stated that it could be much worse if the situation was not brought into control. Sanitation remains to be a major challenge here as the women lack access to proper sanitation facilities as a result of the crowded facilities which in turn has exposed them to the risks of catching infections which could result in a much dire situation.
There were reports in the facility that Women in the facilities have been sexually harassed and raped by the security officials in the detention centers and are continuously mistreated while in the deplorable conditions thus making them more vulnerable and this in turn is a direct violation of the human rights of the Ethiopian detainees.
POLITICAL RESPONSE:
In October 2020, the European Union condemned the Saudi government for the continuous mistreatment of the Ethiopian Migrants and through a non-binding agreement, called for a speedy solution to the issue that has been presented to them and further calls for the upholding of human rights. However Saudi Arabia continues to deny accountability to the control of these detention centers, despite their conditions continuing to worsen and the numbers of those arriving in the centers continuing to double. Saudi Arabia has continued to display laxity when dealing with this crisis, despite deporting nearly 260,000 of them back to Ethiopia between the years of 2017 and 2019.
On the Ethiopian side, Amnesty International quotes witnesses reporting that consulate officials were once spotted in the facilities inspecting and assessing the situation before leaving without any response or comment on the matter. The country has however continuously claimed that it does not have the facilities to cater for the repatriation and quarantine of the arriving migrants, a remark that has been criticized by aid groups and Ethiopian citizens, who have taken the initiative to bring some of their Ethiopians back home. Arguments brought out is that the country could cooperate with Saudi Arabia to ensure that the migrants return safely to the country by providing them with documents to facilitate their travel. Furthermore, the involvement of Non-Governmental organizations such as UNHCR, IOM could be very essential to bringing back the refugees.
In addition, according to a report done by the Telegraph, it was found that Ethiopia was deliberately silencing migrants with the use of “legal repercussions” so as to avoid them showing videos and photos documenting their plight when in Saudi Arabia, a move which the Ethiopian government denies.
FINAL THOUGHT:
It is important to understand that these are 30,000 lives which are at risk of loss as a result of human rights violations and it is due time that this crisis be given the limelight it deserves which shall in turn assist in putting pressure on the Ethiopian government to bring back its citizens, and the Saudi officials involved in all sexual harassment violations, as well as other atrocities to be prosecuted by the Saudi Government. The government should further investigate all atrocities that occurred in the border and further cooperate with humanitarian groups in handling the migrants to ensure that they are in more humane conditions and ensuring that those in need of dire health assistance, to be attended to with the dignity they deserve.
On the Houthi Side, for the atrocities and murders they committed, they should as well be investigated by the relevant authorities to ensure that those who were committed, be punished for their violation of human rights in the Al Ghair raid of April 2020
Finally, where possible, we should assist in aid groups which are continuously working hard to coordinate the return of these migrants who have been mistreated in foreign land and need to be liberated (details on this will be shared soon) and further share this information with others so as to educate each other on this humanitarian crisis.
For more information on this story and on how you can assist, check out the links in the reference below.
REFERENCES
Sofouglu, M. (2020, October 15). Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/is-ethiopia-ignoring-its-citizens-stranded-on-the-saudi-yemen-border-40609
IOM. (2020, May 22). New study on Ethiopian migrants to the gulf finds many unaware of dangers | Africa Renewal. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://www.un.org/africarenewal/news/coronavirus/new-study-ethiopian-migrants-gulf-finds-many-unaware-dangers
Hrw.org. (2020, October 23). Yemen: Houthis Kill, Expel Ethiopian Migrants. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/08/13/yemen-houthis-kill-expel-ethiopian-migrants
Amnesty.org. (2020, October 2). Thousands of Ethiopians are detained in nightmare conditions in Saudi Arabia. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/10/ethiopian-migrants-hellish-detention-in-saudi-arabia/
Comments