MUSTARIYA MOHAMADS STORY ..........................................................

Mustariya Mohamad is one of thousands of Ethiopian migrants facing hazardous conditions in search of a new life in the Middle-East.
Life is hard in Bossaso. Despite a clear turquoise sea, white sands and friendly locals, brutal 45 degree heat, ongoing tension and cracked, arid land makes survival difficult. Derelict buildings are left incomplete, debris clutters defected roads, and basic services are lacking. You only have two options if you want water here, if you are rich you buy bottled water, but most of us, we drink water from the well. It is like seawater; so dirty. Sometimes I even go a day or two without food, says Mustariya currently suffering from severe stomach pains. They held us hostage for several days Originally from Ethiopia, 19-year-old Mustariya Mohamad has been in Bossaso for over one year. Fleeing from ethnic conflict in Adari, north-east Ethiopia, Mustariya embarked on a 15 day journey in search of prosperity and safety: Nine of us left Ethiopia for Somalia, all from my village. At first it was easy, we paid some small money and a truck driver took us across the border. Then everything changed. Armed men stopped us; they all had guns. They took us away and did bad things. They left the men alone; they just wanted us, the women. They held us hostage for several days and stole everything we had, and then spat us out on the side of the road. Our truck driver had left, so we had to walk the rest of the journey. We had no choice. Language barriers After her traumatic journey, Mustariya arrived in Bossaso with no access to health care or psychosocial support: I want to see a doctor, but I cannot go to the hospital. It is too expensive, and I do not speak Somali. I only speak Oromo, so I do not understand what people say to me. It is the same when I try and find a job: I cannot understand what my boss is asking of me, so they sack me. My cousin is supporting me, but he only gets small money from washing clothes. Sometimes we dont eat. Mustariyas aim is to travel onwards to Yemen. The lure of prosperity, education and work in the MiddleEast is driving thousands of Ethiopians to pass through Somalia and on to Yemen. The Gulf of Aden, however, is a perilous journey: The sea is very expensive to cross; it will cost me $100 or $150 to travel from Bosaso to Yemen. I know the problems, I know people die crossing the sea and people are deported, but I have been told Yemen will offer me a better life. I will do whatever it takes to leave here. I dont feel secure and have big problems. I am the only female where I am staying. Over 550 Ethiopians registered in August Mustariya is currently being registered at the Migration Response Centre in Bossaso. Supported by the International Organization for Migration and funded by the Government of Japan, the centre registered over 550 Ethiopians in August alone. We have seen an increase in migrants because of Ramadan, says the centres Director Mohamud Jama Musse. Border controls are less active during this period as people are fasting, so many migrants see it as an ideal opportunity to start their journey. Urgent scale-up needed The centre offers a space for advocacy and information dissemination on the challenges of crossing the Gulf of Aden. However, urgent scale-up is needed. Hussein Hussan, IOMs Migration Health Officer for Somalia states: A comprehensive health care package must also be offered. The need is vast; Mustariya is just one of hundreds of migrants who requires health care and professional psychosocial support. We must provide migrant-friendly health care packages, including translators and free, accessible diagnosis and treatment. Mustariya leaves the Migration Health Response Centre for her evening prayers: I just want to find somewhere with peace, she says. Somewhere I can get an education and see a doctor. Am I asking for too much?

I have to beg to use my neighbours latrine

I have many problems here

I live off my cousins laundry business. It is not enough, I cannot afford to see a doctor

Thousands of migrants are seeking work in Bossaso to pay the $100 - $150 fee to be smuggled to Yemen via the Gulf of Aden. Packed into small, unstable wooden boats and taken through treacherous waters, many fail to make the 75 hour journey. Supported by the Government of Japan, IOM is working tirelessly to provide services for migrants in Bossaso, yet scale-up is still needed.