Yemen

RefugeesAppeal
Progress Report

HUMANITARIAN AID, SHORT-TERM CARE AND LONG-TERM RESETTLEMENT

T: +44 (0)20 8954 9881

E: relief@world-federation.org

www.world-federation.org
Registered Charity (UK), No. 282303

CONTENTS
What Happened to your Donations

How to Donate

Timeline

Introduction

The Situation in Yemen

Destruction of the KSI Mosque, Aden

The Evacuation

The Refugee Camp in Djibouti

Resettlement Process

10

Documentary: Across the Red Sea

11

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR DONATIONS:

22.4 %

1.7m

Raised to date

Evacuation
62 %

15.3 %

Resettlement
Refugee Camp Djibouti
(including medical costs)

600,000
Still needed

HOW TO DONATE:
Family Sponsorship Scheme

1,000

A month (for 24 months)

for a family of four

Other Options

50

A month to provide
children with daily meals

334

A month (for 3 years)

for a family of four

60

A month to provide children

with one months schooling

Or, donate any amount you wish to. Fill in the donation form provided, donate online at
www.world-federation.org or telephone The World Federation office on +44 (0)20 8954 9881.

TIMELINE
April 2015
First 12 people arrived at Djibouti Sea Port Cleared
port security and immigration temporarily housed in
hotels until suitable housing could be found
Collaboration with the UNHCR and Djibouti
Government
UNHCR registration of the 12 individuals who arrived
Evacuation and rescue team arrived in Djibouti
First Sambouk arrival in Djibouti port with our 250
Yemeni Khoja refugees Cleared from port security
and immigration
Data and document collection of all refugees arrived
Setting up of a healthcare clinic and madrasah set up
by Yemeni refugees

June 2015
UNHCR Prima Facie Attestations and ID cards
attained for the first group which arrived including the
first group of 12 people
Volunteers arrive from abroad to assist in relief work
Food Distribution centre point set up at the The World
Federation offices
Medical donations arrive in Djibouti

August 2015
Refugees transported to The World Federation Refugee
Camp
Cancer patient sent to India

October 2015
Professional Career Counsellor arrives in Djibouti and
conducts workshops
Birth of baby in Djibouti

December 2015
The World Federation refugee camp operating as a
camp in transit. Everyone selected for a destination
country
Birth of new born baby in Djibouti

May 2015
Second Sambouk arrives in Djibouti port with over
200 Yemeni Khoja refugees Cleared from port
security and immigration

July 2015
Refugees begin to be re-settled in destination countries
Cancer patient sent to India

September 2015
2nd batch of Medical donations arrive in Djibouti
A Yemeni Khoja refugee dies in hospital and is buried
in Djibouti

November 2015
Re-settlement Officer from The World Federation
arrives in Djibouti to meet families and discuss their
challenges and opportunities
Hip operation conducted in Djibouti of Yemeni Khoja
refugee

January 2016
Re-settlement continues; majority of refugees
travelled to destination country
165 individuals remaining to be re-settled in their
selected destination countries

INTRODUCTION
This report briefly outlines the progress of The World Federations Yemen Emergency
Appeal which dealt with the humanitarian crisis in Yemen in 2015. Our efforts started with
the evacuation of 456 community members from the war torn country. These refugees
went on to stay in temporary accommodation provided by the organisation in Djibouti.
This report looks at the crisis, the work done by The World Federation, with the help of
incredibly generous donors and selfless volunteers, and the plan ahead. The refugees
may no longer be in Yemen, but their situation is far from over.

THE SITUATION IN YEMEN

Conditions in Yemen reached an all-time low in April 2015. The country was in a
humanitarian crisis and innocent people were suffering. The Khoja community was being
persecuted because of their faith and ethnicity. They suffered terrible persecution at the
hands of armed groups.
Life in Yemen was dire; there were attacks and threats on all Shias. After arriving in
Djibouti, some of the refugees told us their experiences. Hassan and Abdul are brothers
aged 24 and 18. They lived in Yemen and were evacuated to Djibouti. During the
bombings, their house was shot at. There were dead bodies lying on the streets and
houses on fire. People were running, looking for safety. Hassan and Abdul were
threatened. They were told that their father would be killed and they would be kidnapped.
This affected Hassan deeply, and he has still not recovered unfortunately. Two of Abduls
friends were taken by Houthis to fight the war and no one has heard any news about them
since. These terrible experiences are something these two men will have to live with for
the rest of their lives.
Ali lived with his wife, parents, brother and brothers wife in Yemen. He went out one day
to buy food for the family. Upon returning, he found his house had been bombed and none
of his family could be found. They still havent been found. Most houses on his street were
destroyed. He lost all of his family and all of his possesions when his house was bombed.
His car was fired at while he was driving one day. His friends turned against him. All
because hes a Shia. He went to another city in Yemen to stay with his cousin who he then
travelled to Hodeida with and then arrived in our camp in Djibouti.

DESTRUCTION OF THE KSI MOSQUE, ADEN

The Khoja mosque in Aden, Yemen was a constant target of anti-Shia vandalism. In July
2015, it was attacked again and this time, the damage was irreversible. The mosque could
not be salvaged.

THE EVACUATION
In April 2015, The World Federation stepped in and facilitated the evacuation of 456
community members. This operation used 380,000 GBP of the initial donations received.
The refugees travelled from all over Yemen to Hodeidah where they began their journey.
The refugees were taken to Djibouti on a ship in the middle of the night with only the
clothes on their backs. Most of these refugees had lived in Yemen all their lives and had
worked hard to build their homes and businesses only to leave it all behind. They didnt
know what would be waiting for them in Djibouti, how long they would be there for, or
where they would go to next. They put their faith and trust in God and prayed for a better
future.

THE REFUGEE CAMP IN DJIBOUTI

The refugees were given temporary accommodation in apartments set up by The World
Federation in Djibouti. Generous donations allowed the organisation to provide beds,
clothes and toys for the children as well as food, water and medical care. We were in close
collaboration with the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) from the very
beginning of the mission.

The Medical Centre:

The World Federation set up a makeshift clinic in Djibouti where a volunteer doctor, who
was also a refugee, treated minor ailments. There were many elderly refugees who
needed regular medical assistance and this allowed them to receive it. The World
Federation also facilitated the treatment of 4 serious medical cases such as patients with
cancer or those who needed hip replacements amongst others. These individuals were
urgently sent to India for treatment.
Employment:
The refugees left everything behind when they left Yemen, including
their jobs. Many of them had their own businesses, which they built
from the ground up. They are all now in need of employment so they
can support their families.
A leading economic force in Tanzania, METL, provided some of the
refugees, who have been resettled in Tanzania, with employment
after coming to the camp and interviewing them. This is a huge step
forward for them and gives them some assurance as they venture out in a country
unknown to them.
The World Federation also organised for Ali Asgher Shariff, a career councillor, to visit the
camp and hold various workshops for the youth. This included education and career
advice with the aim to keep them motivated towards pursuing their education after the
resettlement process. In addition, The World Federation worked with the NARIC (National
Recognition Information Centre), a UK education body, and obtained British certified
accreditation for the refugees in order to ease their education and career path in their
destination countries.
A Promising Young Leader:
One of the refugees, Hani Haider Kassim, has been awarded the
Middle East Fellowship at Watson University in Colorado. This
fellowship covers his accommodation and full tuition fees. Hani
applied for this just a few days after fleeing from Yemen and was
successful in obtaining this much coveted fellowship of which there
are only 4 globally. He gave his interview whilst still in the camp;
something which required incredible strength. He will now embark
on a tailor made course with other innovators, leaders and
entrepreneurs to discuss and brainstorm ideas about how to solve the worlds toughest
challenges.
Muharram Majlis:
The World Federation volunteers in Djibouti arranged for Sheikh Nadir Jaffer to visit the
camp in Djibouti for the 12 days in Muharram. The refugees were able to openly partake in
the program, something whereas they were targeted for doing so when they were in
Yemen.
Weddings & Births:
Through a network of matchmakers, The World Federation was able to facilitate three
marriages! In addition, the camp has seen the birth of two healthy children.
9

RESETTLEMENT PROCESS
All of the refugees who were present in our camp in Djibouti have been allocated a
destination country and as of the 1st of January 2016, the camp has been operating as a
transit camp as we work to safely get people to their final resettlement destination.
The cost of resettling a family of four is 1,000 a month and we have a total of 150 people
left in the camp. Resettlement is not an easy process for the refugees, nor is it an easy
process for the organisation. There are many legal barriers to cross such as obtaining
visas on top of organising accommodation, flights, schools and jobs. For the refugees,
they have to start afresh in a new country with a culture they may not be familiar with. This
is incredibly difficult but inevitably necessary. It is important they are given all the support
possible.
For The World Federation to provide the much needed resettlement packages which
include homes, jobs and schools, your support is needed. This is not exclusive to financial
support, although that is a priority for now. For example, if you are an employer who can
offer work to a refugee or if you have a home or an apartment where a family could live as
they get back on their feet, you could help them start their lives again. The Yemen Appeal
has collected a total of 1.7m to date. Over one third of this was used for the emergency
evacuation. The rest has been used for maintaining the camp as well as covering
resettlement costs for some of the refugees. To ensure the remaining families receive the
help and support they need, please donate generously to The World Federation.
10

DOCUMENTARY: ACROSS THE RED SEA

The World Federation recently produced a documentary to show the progress and work
done on this huge project. Since May 2015, there have been many people involved in
getting the refugees to safety and working on finding them permanent resettlement. This
documentary features interviews with the refugees and volunteers and also exclusive
video footage of our camp in Djibouti. To view the documentary please scan the QR Code
below or visit our YouTube page (http://lnk.wf/AcrossTheRedSea):

11

Who is it that will offer of Allah a goodly gift, so He will

multiply it to him manifold, and Allah straitens and amplifies,
and you shall be returned to Him.
The Holy Quran, Surah al-Baqara 2: 245

The World Federation is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations