In coalition with 100+ Human Rights organizations, ADC co-signed a letter to the Department of State for the Redesignation of Yemeni and Somalian TPS recipients.
Describing the gravity of the crises in Yemen and Somalia, the letter opens: “We, the 105 undersigned international, national, state, and local organizations, write to urge you to extend for 18 months and redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemen and Somalia. Given the ongoing armed conflicts and humanitarian crises devastating both countries, we are extremely concerned that a forcible return of over 1,750 of our Yemeni and Somali neighbors and 1 community members back to danger would tear livelihoods apart and be akin to a death sentence because of the extraordinary and dangerous conditions in these countries.”
Yemen is in the midst of the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, fueled by warring parties who continually act with total disregard to international law and human life.
Meanwhile, Somalia remains home to one of the most complex humanitarian emergencies in the world. Recent environmental disasters and conflict, including famine and floods, triggered widespread hunger, displacement, and contagious diseases. Nearly 1/2 the population are food insecure.
ADC Senior Staff Attorney Iman Boukadoum says, “ADC has countless TPS clients from Somalia and Yemen. The overwhelming majority cannot re-enter for a number of reasons, chief among them, that neither nation is safe. TPS must be re-designated and extended at a minimum, in the case of both nations.”
We eagerly await a decision on TPS for Yemen by January 3, 2020, and for Somalia by January 17, 2020.
The full letter can be read below.