Addis Abeba — Ethiopian nationals accounted for 91% of the 13,687 migrants who arrived in Yemen in July 2026, making them by far the largest group of migrants recorded entering the conflict-affected country during the month, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

IOM's Yemen Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), in its July 2026 dispatch released today. said the number of migrant arrivals increased by 3% from June. The migrants entered Yemen through southern coastal landing points and the Yemen-Oman land border crossing.

Of the total arrivals, an estimated 2,584, or about 19%, were under the age of 18, while 2,540, or 18.5%, were women. No children under the age of five were recorded among the incoming migrants during the month, IOM said.

The majority of arrivals were recorded in Abyan, which accounted for 41% of the total, followed by Shabwah and Ta'iz with 26% each, and Al Maharah with 2%. IOM said all migrants arriving in Abyan and Ta'iz had departed from Djibouti, while those arriving in Shabwah came from Somalia and those recorded in Al Maharah entered from Oman.

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Somali nationals represented the remaining 9% of arrivals, highlighting the dominance of Ethiopians along the migration routes into Yemen during the reporting period.

Addis Ababa guide Ethiopians also dominate departures

The IOM data also showed that Ethiopian nationals accounted for all 1,649 migrants who departed Yemen in July, with most heading to Djibouti through the Lahj coast and others travelling to Oman through the Al Maharah land border.

Discover moreDownload Interactive MapsForeign policy newsMedia freedom advocacyPoliticspoliticalEthiopian election coverageBrowse Digital MagazinesEthiopian culture magazinePolitical science coursesBreaking news alerts Of those departing Yemen, 87% were adult men, 8% adult women and 5% children. IOM noted that a small proportion of the children were under five years old.

The figures come amid a broader humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where IOM reported that more than 22 million people require humanitarian assistance. The agency said conflict, deteriorating maritime security, severe weather and damage to shelters at displacement sites continued to intensify humanitarian needs in July.

Ethiopian election coverage According to IOM, the July arrivals were part of an active migration route linking the Horn of Africa with Yemen and onward destinations. The agency's data indicate that Ethiopians continue to constitute the overwhelming majority of people undertaking this movement.

IOM also reported that it provided direct protection assistance to 1,905 migrants during July, alongside support to internally displaced people, refugees and asylum-seekers. Across its operations, the agency provided services including protection case management, cash assistance, food support and referrals to specialized services.

In July 2026, Addis Standard reported that conflict, insecurity, limited access to protection and worsening economic conditions were continuing to drive thousands of people from the Horn of Africa onto the Eastern Route toward Yemen and the Gulf, according to a regional overview by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

UNHCR's Regional Bureau for the Eastern and Southern Africa (RBESA) described the corridor as "one of the world's most active and dangerous mixed-movement corridors," warning that migration along the route is rarely a straightforward journey.

According to UNHCR's July 2026 overview, many migrants and refugees spend months or even years in Somalia and Djibouti before attempting to cross the Red Sea. "Journeys are rarely linear," the agency said, noting that people may pause, change course or remain in the two countries depending on their access to protection, legal status and resources.

Media freedom advocacy UNHCR said evidence collected along the route indicates that onward movement is often driven by unmet protection needs rather than being "a simple choice," stressing that timely access to asylum can significantly alter the course of a person's journey.

The assessment comes against the backdrop of a sharp increase in migration along the corridor. As Addis Standard previously reported, more than 506,600 outward movements were recorded along the Eastern Route during the latest reporting period, representing an 18% increase from the previous year. The IOM said the route had become the deadliest on record, despite mounting dangers faced by migrants travelling from the Horn of Africa toward Yemen and the Gulf.

According to the IOM, Ethiopian nationals accounted for 97% of all tracked migrants, while 95% cited economic hardship as their primary reason for leaving. The agency also reported that smugglers have increasingly adopted remote routes that bypass official monitoring points and border checkpoints in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Yemen, making movements more difficult to track and exposing migrants to greater risks.

The route has witnessed repeated deadly incidents, including shipwrecks off the Djiboutian coast, deaths from extreme heat in the Obock desert, and killings and abuses in Yemen and Somalia.

Against this backdrop, the latest infographic report identifies several interconnected factors driving continued movement along the Eastern Route.

Foremost among them is conflict, insecurity and political instability. According to UNHCR, "ongoing violence, including forced recruitment, drives people to leave in search of safety."

Social affairs analysis Insecurity in Ethiopia's Oromia, Amhara and Tigray regions, combined with limited documentation and economic opportunities, continues to push people to leave the country, the report states. It further notes that trafficking networks operating along the Eritrea-Tigray-Addis Abeba-Afar-Djibouti corridor expose migrants, particularly young adults, to extortion and abuse.

It also identifies limited access to protection and legal status as a key driver.