NYN | News
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Yemen announced that it successfully repatriated 957 Somali refugees to their home country in 2025 as part of its voluntary return program, implemented with international support and in coordination with the relevant authorities.
In a statement published on its official account on the X platform, UNHCR explained that the returns were carried out through sea journeys to the port of Berbera, as well as air flights to the Somali capital, Mogadishu, with funding from the Swedish government. The initiative is part of broader efforts to facilitate the return of refugees who have voluntarily chosen to go back to their homeland.
The agency confirmed that returning refugees will receive additional assistance packages upon arrival in Somalia, including support aimed at helping them start a new life and enhancing their chances of reintegration into their local communities.
The voluntary return program is one of the key support pathways UNHCR provides for Somali refugees in Yemen. Since its launch in September 2017 and until the end of 2024, the program has facilitated the return of 8,555 people—including 1,115 refugees who returned during the past year alone.
According to UNHCR’s latest data, the number of registered refugees and asylum seekers currently in Yemen exceeds 62,000, with Somalis and Ethiopians making up the vast majority, amid the ongoing complex humanitarian situation in the country.
