标签： Asia

ATHENS – Palestinian adolescents evacuated from the Gaza conflict zone confront profound physical and psychological hurdles as they attempt to reconstruct their lives in Greece, where governmental support remains inconsistent despite widespread public solidarity.

Raghad Al Fara, 15, navigates her new existence in Athens on crutches, her body bearing the scars of an Israeli bombardment in Khan Younis that crushed her right leg and back beneath rubble. Evacuated with her mother and younger sister in February while the rest of her family remains in Gaza, she resides in a women’s refugee shelter, still awaiting comprehensive psychological care. “I never thought I would survive, let alone set foot on European soil,” Raghad stated.

According to Heracles Moskoff, Secretary General for Vulnerable Persons at Greece’s migration ministry, Raghad is among ten Gazan minors suffering from complex orthopedic and psychological injuries. Her mother, Shadia Al Fara, expressed frustration with the support system, noting her daughter bedwetted for months due to trauma and that families receive no financial assistance. “Greece took responsibility for us but then abandoned us,” she lamented.

Conversely, 20-year-old Sara Al Sweirki represents a more hopeful narrative. Evacuated in September, she will commence psychology studies at the private Deree American College of Greece in January, aiming to help others overcome trauma. “I want to be a girl my age like others, learn guitar and piano, and study,” Al Sweirki emphasized. “My dream was interrupted after October 7. But now I am more determined than ever to pursue my goal.”

The Greek government’s approach appears contradictory to public sentiment. A recent study by aboutpeople revealed 74% of Greeks support recognizing Palestinian statehood, reflecting heightened solidarity following Israel’s military tactics in Gaza. This public stance contrasts with the conservative government’s position, which Palestinian official Latif Darwesh states lacks “political will” to host more injured Gazans despite community requests.

Historically, Greece maintained strong ties with Palestine under socialist leader Andreas Papandreou in the 1980s, when many Palestinian students found refuge there. Today, evacuees face an uncertain future, balancing gratitude for evacuation against concerns about long-term stability and family members left behind in what Shadia Al Fara describes as “hell.”

In the sprawling settlement known as ‘Little Mogadishu’ within Yemen’s port city of Aden, thousands of Somali migrants endure crushing poverty amidst makeshift shelters surrounded by garbage piles and unpaved roads. These displaced individuals, who initially envisioned Yemen as a transit point toward prosperous Gulf states, now find themselves trapped in a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.

Yemen, recognized as the Arabian Peninsula’s most impoverished nation, has become an unintended destination rather than a thoroughfare for African migrants. Despite the country’s own devastating civil war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and decimated infrastructure, approximately 17,000 Africans arrived in Yemen in October 2025 alone—representing a startling 99 percent increase from previous months according to United Nations data.

The reality for these migrants stands in stark contrast to their aspirations. Somali refugees, who constitute 63 percent of Yemen’s 61,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers, face extreme hardship with limited access to employment, education, or basic necessities. Men line roadways daily seeking temporary work, while many resort to scavenging through refuse heaps for edible items to sustain their families.

Abdullah Omar, a 29-year-old Somali father of four, exemplifies this struggle. Having invested $500 with human traffickers to escape Somalia’s instability, he now survives on occasional car washing jobs that yield mere dollars per day. ‘Some days we eat, some days it’s up to God. That’s life,’ Omar told journalists, explaining his decision to enroll in a UN repatriation program after finding ‘no work, no money, and no schooling for the children.’

The UN Refugee Agency reports that 56 percent of returning Somalis cite ‘lack of income opportunities’ in Yemen as their primary reason for repatriation. A voluntary return program provides transportation and transitional financial assistance, having facilitated the return of over 500 Somalis in 2025 with additional flights planned.

Ahmed Abu Bakr Marzouk, a 58-year-old contractor who lived in Yemen for 25 years, represents another dimension of this crisis. Once prosperous enough to build homes in Mogadishu, he now sees returning to Somalia’s relative stability as his only option. ‘If peace returns, I’ll come back,’ Marzouk stated. ‘If not, I won’t.’

This migration paradox continues despite Yemen’s overwhelming challenges: 19.5 million people requiring humanitarian assistance, mass unemployment, currency depreciation, halted oil exports, and insufficient international funding create an environment where neither locals nor migrants can thrive.