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                Doctors Without Borders Finds Tortured Migrants

   by Kim Lewis

   The international medical aid group, Doctors Without Borders, also
   known by its French acronym MSF,  has been working to provide treatment
   over the past 10 days to more than 1,700 migrants, including women and
   children, who have been recent victims of human trafficking in Yemen.
   The medical group reports that most of the migrants have been tortured
   by smugglers, and have extensive humanitarian and psychological needs.
   MSF officials say they're worried about the future of the thousands of
   migrants who are still stranded in Yemen. Most of them are from
   Ethiopia.
   Tarek Daher, the head of mission in Yemen for Doctors without Borders,
   said "around 105, 000 migrants are coming on a yearly basis from the
   Horn of Africa, Ethiopia mainly, up to Yemen, trying to cross the Saudi
   borders in order to find some work there."  He said ten days ago the
   Yemeni authorities conducted a raid on smugglers who were keeping the
   migrants for ransom, or to work on their farms for no pay.
   Once freed from the smugglers, the migrants were transferred to two
   main centers, one in Haradh in northern Yemen, and the other close to
   the capital, Sana'a.
   "We went and tried to give medical treatment for those who are in need,
   and this is where we saw that they were tortured by the smugglers in
   Yemen," said Daher, who went on to  explain that the migrants were
   found to be in horrific condition.  He said many had been beaten and
   many had had their nails pulled out.  In addition, Daher said many had
   not eaten for up to seven days while being held in captivity.
   "MSF tried to give them mental health sessions in order to just help
   them understand a little bit what is going on with them," said Daher.
   The Yemeni government has been working to send the migrants back home
   in small groups.
   Daher said MSF is urging the international community to help provide
   assistance to the thousands of migrants still in Yemen, and most
   importantly to help protect the migrants from being tortured by
   smugglers
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/migrants-torture-msf-yemen-smugglers-
   beaten-ethiopian/1652454.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/migrants-torture-msf-yemen-smugglers-beaten-ethiopian/1652454.html