A ship chartered by a Somali man carrying over 2000 Somali refugees due to dock at Bossaso
The rescue ship chartered by a Somali businessman carrying over 2000 Somali refugees from Yemen is expected to dock at the Gulf of Aden port city of Bossaso of Semi-autonomous regional state of Puntland in forthcoming hours.
The ship which reportedly set out yesterday from Mukalla port, is ferrying Somalis including women and children who fled away the escalating Yemen violence.
Goobjoog Reporters, Mohamed Salad and Aweys Noor who are on board the ship are reporting that the vessel is expected to dock at Bossaso Port soon.
On 25th May this year, Abdi Ali Farah, a well-known Somali businessman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Jubba General Trading Company has pledged to dispatch a cargo ship intended to ferry Somalis from Yemen.
Speaking to Goobjoog News, Farah said that he decided to help brotherly Somalis who were affected by the violence in Yemen which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands including Yemenis and Somali refugees.
These Somalis, whom their lives were at the mercy Yemen violence, have been resting under the shade of Yemen since the government of late Mohamed Siyad Barre deposed by rebellions.
Hundreds of thousands of Somalis fleeing civil war in Somalia crossed to Yemen over the past twenty five years but it became vice visa.
Puntland government has earlier announced ministerial level committee to work on and closely monitor the increasing violence in Yemen and Somali refugees arriving Puntland in large numbers.
On the other hand, Puntland has also called its people to welcome and host Somali people who are fleeing Yemen in fear for their lives.
Due to the escalating conflict in Yemen, Somali refugees who fled Somalia’s civil war early 1990s have been returning back to Puntland, Especially Bossaso, a port town that lies hours ride from Yemeni’s main towns of San’a and Add’an.
The brawl in Yemen claimed thousands of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands including Yemenis and Somali refugees who escaped the conflict and hardships in their country before civil war eruption in Yemen.
Since 1 April, 6, 789 of Somali refugees returned home by themselves with small boats. They accused the government of “failing’’ to intervene in the situation of the trapped citizens.
Life went from bad to worse for the Somalis living in Yemen after the federal government revealed that it is supporting the on-going Saudi-led military offensive against the Houthi rebels who are fighting to take over internationally recognized government.
Pledges
Somali government promised to dispatch ships and planes for the evacuation of Somalis caught in Yemen’s conflict.
It was on 27th April when Director of the Parliament Mohamed Iyow told Goobjoog that the parliament has approved to send two ships to evacuate Somalis in Yemen.
While other foreign nationals have been evacuated from the impoverished gulf nation, the federal government has not yet moved to evacuate its citizens despite announcing plans to bring back them home.