A new USD 91 million appeal has been launched to support migrants travelling along key migration routes in Africa, with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) leading the effort alongside 48 partners. The appeal aims to provide life-saving assistance to migrants from the Horn of Africa moving along the Eastern Route to Yemen and the Gulf, as well as the Southern Route toward Southern Africa, while also supporting host communities along these corridors.
IOM Director General Amy Pope emphasized that migration along these routes is a shared responsibility. The 2026 Migrant Response Plan (MRP) seeks to unite governments and partners to protect people on the move, strengthen community resilience, and deliver coordinated humanitarian support to reduce suffering.
Thousands of migrants, including children, travel each year from Ethiopia and Somalia through Djibouti to Yemen or southward through Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, and Malawi toward South Africa. These journeys are perilous, with migrants facing violence, exploitation, hunger, dehydration, arbitrary detention, and other abuses. In 2025, the Eastern Route recorded more than 900 deaths or missing persons, marking the deadliest year on record. Since 2018, IOM has coordinated the regional Migrant Response Plan to address the escalating crisis along these corridors.
The 2026 MRP will provide emergency aid and protection services, facilitate voluntary return and reintegration, and support community stabilization. It also focuses on strengthening data collection and partnerships for a coordinated, route-based response, while engaging the private sector to enhance economic opportunities and long-term resilience for both migrants and host communities.
Government and partner representatives highlighted the importance of collaboration. Ethiopia, for instance, has pledged to work with migration partners to reinforce protection systems, expand opportunities for youth, support climate-resilient livelihoods, and enhance community stability in high-migration areas. Similarly, Kenyan officials emphasized that the launch represents a collective commitment to inclusive and forward-looking migration strategies.
Current funding is insufficient to meet the growing humanitarian needs of migrants from the Horn of Africa. Without increased resources, essential life-saving services such as shelters, medical care, protection, and safe accommodation could be disrupted, putting vulnerable groups—including trafficking survivors and unaccompanied children—at heightened risk of harm and preventable deaths.
The appeal is supported by a wide range of organizations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI), regional bodies like the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and governments across East, Horn, and Southern Africa.
