May 16, 2015
HRLHA’s Appeal to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Mr.Antonio Guterres
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR)
Case Postale 2500
CH-1211 Geneve 2 Depot Suisse
Email. infoDesk@ohchr.org;GUTERRES@unhcr.org
Attention To:
Mr Amin Awad
Middle East and North Africa Bureau
UNHCR, Geneva
Dear Mr. Guterres,
The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa/HRLHA is very concerned about the current humanitarian crisis in the Republic of Yemen following the internal conflicts and political instabilities that have broken down the social services in the country. Many non-governmental and humanitarian organizations are reporting that the crisis in Yemen has highly affected refugees and asylum seekers who came from the Horn of Africa to Yemen to escape the volatile situations in Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and other places. Among the most vulnerable are Oromo refugees and asylum seekers residing in Sanaa, Aden and other areas in Yemen. According to the letter disseminated by the Oromo refugee community in Aden-Yemen under the heading
“Only the Oromo Refugees are still caught up under the fire and critical circumstance and also expecting an imminent danger” Oromo refugees are desperately seeking attention and life – saving assistance of the UNHCR. The UNHCR’s Middle East and North Africa branch office confirmed its commitment to provide life – saving assistance for the needy people under its strategy’s priority:
“ UNHCR’s strategic priorities in 2015 are: to deliver innovative operational responses, including life-saving assistance; to ensure protection for all people of concern with a particular focus on the most vulnerable, especially those in urban areas; to seek durable solutions, including resettlement as a protection tool; and to continue to respond to ongoing emergencies.”
Dear Mr. Guterres,
The HRLHA, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have reported and are still reporting that the Oromos are fleeing their country to escape persecution by the current Ethiopian government led by the TPLF/EPRDF. The recent research document released by Amnesty International “Because I am Oromo” – Sweeping repression in the Oromia region of Ethiopia exposes that how Oromos have been regularly subjected to arbitrary arrest, prolonged detention without charge, enforced disappearance, repeated torture and unlawful state killings since 1991, the current Ethiopian Government came into power as part of the government’s incessant attempts to crush dissent.
Dear Mr. Guterres,
Thousands of other nations and nationalities in Ethiopia also have been killed, kidnapped and arrested by TPLF/EPRDF Government because of exercising their fundamental rights or holding political opinions different from PLF/EPRDF’s political agenda.
Therefore, the HRLHA politely urges the UNHCR to:
1. Provide food and shelter assistance to vulnerable Oromo and other refugees in Yemen
2. Move them to safer neighboring countries in the Middle East or beyond.
