Somali Refugees Face Poverty and Instability in Yemens Aden Region

Residents of Aden’s al-Basateen District Face Poverty and Uncertainty

The al-Basateen district in Yemen’s interim capital, Aden, is home to over 40,000 residents, with the majority being of Somali origin. The area has seen a significant demographic shift since the 1990s, when civil war in Somalia led thousands of families to flee across the Gulf of Aden in search of safety.

Today, local sources estimate that the district’s population is comprised of people who have lived in Aden for various lengths of time, with some arriving as children and others being born there. Despite their diverse backgrounds, all residents share a common characteristic: they are labeled as refugees on their official documents.

Many residents rely on informal employment to make ends meet, with dozens gathering at street entrances each day to secure work in construction or manual labor. However, this fragile pattern of employment has become the defining feature of life in al-Basateen, as extreme poverty spreads and humanitarian aid declines.

Resident Ashour Hassan, who earns between 3,000 and 4,000 Yemeni rials per day (less than $3), described his daily struggles. “We live day to day. If we find work, we eat. If we don’t, we wait without food until tomorrow.”

Families in the area often rely on both men and women to be breadwinners, with some women working cleaning homes or running small businesses. Children are also forced into work, including sifting through waste for materials they can sell.

The district’s architecture and appearance reflect the poverty that pervades the community, with tightly packed homes made of metal sheets and separated by dirt roads covered in rubbish. A deeper feeling of “suspended belonging” hangs over the Somali residents, who carry memories of a distant homeland and speak its language, while their younger generations know only Aden and speak Arabic.

Resident Fatima Jame, a mother of four, was born in Aden to Somali parents but does not have a Yemeni identity. She stated that her family’s combined income “barely covers rent and food” due to the high cost of living and limited job opportunities.

Source: Al Jazeera