Africans deported by S. Arabia dying in Yemen

[Bamaarn]

GENEVA (Reuters) - Thirty African migrants, among thousands deported by Saudi Arabia, have died in recent weeks after being dumped on Yemen's border where a humanitarian crisis is growing, an aid agency said on Friday.

Saudi Arabia has been expelling illegal migrants, mainly from Ethiopia, Somalia or Sudan, who reach the oil-exporting kingdom after a long and hazardous journey across the Horn of Africa seeking a better life in the Gulf or beyond, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.

"An increasing number have been deported by Saudi Arabia and dumped at the border," IOM spokeswoman Jemini Pandya told a news briefing. "Thirty migrants have died in the past few weeks."

One was shot, another beaten to death and a third had died of kidney failure, but exact circumstances were unclear, she said. "The morgue is now full."

Many African migrants suffered from malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid or malnutrition after being taken by Saudi authorities by bus to the border town of Haradh, according to the IOM.

"With no means of either continuing their journey or returning home, the migrants are sleeping out in the open, dehydrated and trying to survive on whatever scraps of food they can find," Pandya said. "They have no money or identity papers."

The IOM and other agencies have helped about 1,000 out of 2,000 Ethiopian migrants to return home since mid-November after giving them food, shelter and medical care, she said. The organisation has appealed for $1 million to complete the task.

"There are many thousands more still stuck in the border area. It is an emerging humanitarian crisis," she told Reuters.

"There is a bottleneck rapidly developing, it is becoming increasingly acute. Yemen is a major transit route for migrants and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa," she said.

More than 30,000 African migrants and refugees fleeing conflict and poverty have arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa so far this year, most aboard smugglers' boats, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

Saudi Arabia regards Yemen as a failed state where President Ali Abdullah Saleh is losing control, according to a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable quoting the Saudi counter-terrorism chief.

The oil-rich kingdom is worried that al Qaeda's Yemen-based wing is exploiting instability there to stage attacks inside Saudi Arabia.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Thursday it was expanding aid operations in Yemen and doubling its appeal for the country to nearly $50 million for 2011.

"The humanitarian needs are enormous," ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger told reporters. "There is considerable uncertainty about developments in the south and we have to be prepared."

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/i ... 03?sp=true

[Bamaarn]

It's wrong for Saudi Arabia to deport Muslims from Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, etc.

[Basra-]

Oh Cry me a river. Arabs are Arabs, they are only fellow muslims when they are in trouble, but never anytime else. The white people so called christians or athiests are more compassionate than them.

[Bamaarn]

Basra, Saudi Arabia is a good and dependable ally of your country, American government and people. So, you should defend it.

[garoweboy]

Basra, Saudi Arabia is a good and dependable ally of your country, American government and people. So, you should defend it.

If they kick our people out how can we defend them?

[Bamaarn]

If they kick our people out how can we defend them?

It shouldn't be a problem for Somali-Americans like Basra. The good relationship (bilateral, economic, trade, business, education, military, etc) between her country and Saudi Arabia should be more important than Saudi Arabia deporting some Somalis. Her country deports tens thousands of Mexicans every year, and that doesn't affect the loyalty and patriotism of Mexican-Americans.

[shidow1]

Arabs are bad people......

[Basra-]

Bam


I give them credit for being an ally with america. They are not radicals like pakistan, afhghanista or somali. Good job on that score. But i dislike them as a race. An individual community. They do not represent our beautiful Islam diin. Nor do they represent what constitutes as an exemplary humanbeing.

[Walaashiis]

Arabs are bad people......

Not worse than Somali clanist who sell and divide up their own people. Go figure

[Bamaarn]

Basra, who (whose people, community, etc) represents what constitutes as an exemplary human being?

[Basra-]

Bam

There is no such group or people that constitutes examplary humanbeing. Sadly there isnt that. My definition? Well, its simple: He or She who constitutes examplary humanbeing is he or she who combines--the preaching and practicing of a true Muslim or Muslimah, He/She who is utterly and Islamically obey and worship Allaah swt by action and speech.(By this i mean,every thing or action that constitutes a best muslim. Salat,zakat,etc etc etc) He/She who is compassion to other humanbeings,who does good, charity, who is gentle in tongue, and action, who thinks outside themselves. The furthest from selfish desires or earthly desires.(the ability to transform from human jerk knee impulse of selfishness to unselfishnes,and Put Allaah swt first) That examplary humanbeing must have these two important qualities. A muslim by actions and speech, and a compassionate humanbeing. Sadly--the arabs--dont have both. But the white, for example american and europian--have the compassionate quality. So- u tell me--which of these two bad--will u consider less bad?

[Garuun]

sad indeed

[Bamaarn]

Basra, I cannot tell you which of these two bad I consider less bad. I mean, you've practically grown up in the US, influenced by its culture, media, trends, etc--therefore, a little biased. You say that white american and european have compassionate quality, while arabs don't; you say that as if you've done your homework, which I doubt. If you show me a chart comparing the two with regard to compassionate quality, and if the results support the whites, then you will convince me. I ask that, because I seriously doubt the compassionate quality of white american and european. For instance, the US president, vice president, most members of the House/Senate are Christians, yet, they have this year deported close to half a million poor Mexicans, with whom they share the faith. Now, does that constitute compassionate quality?

Another example, a neighbor of the US, Haiti, of whom most of its citizens are Christians, and who recently suffered from a cataclysmic natural disaster, still continue to suffer from the effects and after-effects of the disaster, despite promises and pledges of help from white american and european. Individual compassionate people (including Muslims) from around the world donated $billions to help Haiti. The donations made its way to white relief organizations; what have they done so far to help Haiti? I guess a substantial amount of the donations made its way into the individual pockets and bank accounts of members of those relief organizations. These are mere 2 examples, but there are many. I think, when it comes to white american and european, nothing is done for free, business as usual, compassionate quality merely helps the reputation.

[Basra-]

Bam

I dont have a lot of dramatic, elaborate charts for you, sorry to disappoint. However, i do hold a common statistic knowledge. None of the rich arab countries hold humantirarian assylum of refugees of any kinds--muslim refugees or not. None of the rich muslim arab countries help or donate that much to worlds crisis. I am sure if u did research--UN holds charts and statistics on countries that offer donations--aram rich countries have few or none existant. It is true that arab rich countries do offer donantion during ramadhan to cover the 'zakat' clause which is obligatory towards muslims--and i say that is NOT enough. Most of the countries that donate and offer assylum mostly is United states, Canada, britain, and very few in australia. Why is that? I mean, i am not asking the rich arab counties to do a mass refugee asslylum program--such help fellow muslims like somalia, palestine, bosnia muslims. Instead we hear they deport muslims who go there with their own legs and expenses---is this statistic good enuf?

[Bamaarn]

Basra, not every rich country in the world holds humanitarian asylum of refugees of any kinds. Examples are Japan, South Korea, Russia, Brunei (Muslim), Malaysia (Muslim), China, Brazil, Venezuela and many other countries. It's their choice if they choose not to offer asylum, welfare, etc. Surely, you cannot expect every rich country to follow the Canadian or Swedish example. Not too long ago, there were topics about Haiti and its cataclysmic disaster, where comments were made about how many $millions were donated by Muslim countries. There are close to a million Somali refugees in Yemen. There are thousands of Somalis in the Khaliij who receive some form of assistance. There are millions of Palestinian refugees in various Arab countries, who over the decades (and still) received welfare or some form of social assistance. With regard to deportation, some Western countries (including yours) have deported Somalis and other Muslims to dangerous locations like Somalia. Heck, they even deport their fellow Christians (like Mexicans), so it should be a non-issue.

I'm really baffled by why you hold Saudis or other Arabs to the litmus test of compassionate quality. I'm also baffled by why you make it like your own country has passed the litmus test of compassionate quality. Why it isn't OK for Saudis to deport fellow Muslims, but OK for Americans to deport fellow Christians?