RIYADH (Middle East Eye) – Ethiopian migrant workers are being systematically targeted and killed on a daily basis by Saudi security officials trying to deter people from crossing the Saudi-Yemen border.
According to a new report by the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC), an international network carrying out research and analysis on migration, the Ethiopians have been targeted by snipers and mortars.
Bram Frouws, the director of MMC, says the situation is ongoing and critical.
“Sexual abuse, including rape, is widespread,” he told Middle East Eye.
“There is physical violence, torture, arbitrary detention - all speak of being shot at, with people dying around them at the northern border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.”
The Saudi-Yemen border has become particularly dangerous in recent years, with around 430 deaths and 650 injuries recorded between 1 January and 30 April 2022.
The killings and attacks on the Ethiopians took place on the route between al-Jawf and Sadah in Yemen. Attacks have also been taking place in the Jizan province of Saudi Arabia.
One survivor told MMC last month that they were disturbed by “the pungent smell” of dead bodies. Another said “when the security camera catches you, the border guards fire heavy explosives”.
The United Nations has previously highlighted the issue. In October 2022, several special rapporteurs highlighted the killings in a letter, describing “gross human rights violations against migrants”.
Data compiled by the UN states that 30 percent of the victims were reportedly women, and that seven percent were children.
The letter also stated that some of the abuses included torture, arbitrary detention, trafficking and sexual abuse.
The Saudi-Yemen border has become a major transit point for people between the Horn of Africa and Saudi Arabia.
Many refugees and migrants rely on networks of traffickers to help them travel along the route, leaving them vulnerable to violence.
The migrants attempting to cross the border are primarily from Ethiopia.
Humanitarian assistance has been limited in the area, with medical personnel unable to reach those injured.
Those injured also struggle to get treatment, with only one hospital located in a remote area, which is difficult to reach.
Women and young girls are particularly vulnerable at the crossing, with a high risk of sexual violence.
According to Frouws the majority of victims are men, though there is a growing number of female victims.