RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has facilitated the voluntary repatriation of 140 Somali refugees from Yemen in cooperation with the UN Refugee Agency, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
The refugees left from Aden International Airport on Wednesday as part of a humanitarian project to protect and assist refugees and communities affected by displacement.
KSrelief also facilitated the return of 154 Somali refugees from Yemen via the same route in August.
The repatriations are occurring amid Yemen’s ongoing struggle with the effects of more than a decade of conflict which has displaced millions and disrupted vital services.
According to the UN’s 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, some 22.3 million people in Yemen need humanitarian assistance, including 5.2 million internally displaced people, more than 329,000 migrants and 63,000 refugees and asylum seekers.
Yemen hosts more than 41,000 Somali refugees and asylum seekers, alongside around 17,300 Ethiopians and smaller communities of Syrians, Iraqis, Eritreans, Sudanese and Palestinians, according to UNHCR’s August figures.
Despite the ongoing conflict, Yemen remains both a destination for refugees fleeing instability in the Horn of Africa and a transit point for migrants seeking employment opportunities elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula.
The latest KSrelief operation is part of Saudi Arabia’s wider humanitarian efforts, carried out in coordination with international organizations, to support vulnerable populations and facilitate safe and dignified returns.