Rahama looked through the window, amid a raging armed conflict in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, and all she saw was smoke and guns firing in from every direction. She feared for her family and her unborn third child. Going back home to Ethiopia offered better survival chances for the entire family. She had a successful delivery soon after arriving in Metema facilitated by IOM and its partners. IOM’s Migration Response centers have provided life-saving services including health screening, protection services and provision of water and sanitation facilities to families escaping the conflict in Sudan.

Ruma, a 38-year-old widowed single mother of one from a small town in southern Bangladesh experienced social harassment after her husband died, forcing her to migrate. Through an arranged marriage of convenience, she made it to Italy. Despite her attempts to succeed in Italy she decided to return home to Bangladesh, where she learned about the IOM’s Prottasha project. The team has provided her with financial literacy and in-kind support. She has finally been able to provide for her son who is currently pursuing his future.

Despite several attempts at searching for a better future for his family, Moharaj, he ran into one problem after another resulting in failure. After being smuggled into Syria he hoped to make it to Italy. One year later, he boarded an overloaded boat to seek refuge on an island in Greece. He eventually discovered that IOM provided support to migrants who voluntarily chose to return home. Due to an injury that left him permanently disabled, IOM extended much needed support through the Prottasha project, which has rekindled hope in his family.

Sasha, a passionate swimmer, had been training for nine years preparing for the Olympics, until he was derailed by the war in Ukraine. IOM has helped Sasha and his family on the journey to Budapest.

The joint IOM-UNDP Global Programme aims to harness the development benefits and reduce negative effects of migration for host and home communities, migrants and their family members in 11 countries across the world.

Dr Youssouf, leads the IOM’s mobile health patrols in the Djibouti dessert looking for abandoned, stranded or otherwise vulnerable migrants to provide life-saving assistance. These mobile units carry medical supplies, food, water and other essential items. According to IOM data, the number of women and girls travelling along the Eastern Route – from the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti) to Yemen – nearly doubled between 2021 and 2022, from 53,200 to 106,700. In Djibouti, the percentage of women and girls on the move rose from 13 per cent in 2021 to 22 per cent in 2022. Since the beginning of the patrols in 2020, IOM has aided more than 18,000 migrants.

Rouah Abuzamazem works with the Migrant Resource and Response Mechanism Unit in IOM Libya. IOM assists rescued migrants with health assistance, psychosocial support and humanitarian direct assistance such as provision of hygiene kits and clothes. By working closely with the Libyan authorities, particularly with the detention centre management, IOM is also working to enhance living conditions for detained migrants through rehabilitation of the detention centre facilities, human rights training of staff, health assistance, psychosocial support and humanitarian direct assistance.

Climate anxiety grips fishermen in Pakistan

Muhammad Kasim, his wife, and eldest son repair fish nets damaged during the recent floods. “We come from a family of fishermen. Fishing is in our blood – it is my badge of honour. It’s also our only source of income,” said Kasim. His lifelong profession and source of income for his large family is now in jeopardy until waters recede and ecological balance is restored. Income from fishing heavily depends on the season. As the floods struck during peak fishing season, local fishermen will have to seek other options to put food on the table. In 2022, the Government of Pakistan launched the “Living Indus” initiative to restore the river’s ecosystem, so the Indus basin can become resilient to climate change.

Despite restrictions on women's freedom of movement and an environment of fear, female humanitarian workers continue to provide vital support to Afghan women. Every month, IOM provides assistance to 162,000 women in Afghanistan.

After a difficult migratory journey to follow in the footsteps of his friends, he chose to return to his native region and set up a sewing workshop with the help of IOM, as part of his socio-economical reintegration. Kafoumba is originally from the N'Zérékoré region of Guinea, but it was in Côte d'Ivoire that he acquired his unique style of tailoring.

Being indebted is common for migrants and may lead to involuntary re-migration. An IOM study finds that regardless of country of origin or gender, the majority (72 per cent) of returnees surveyed reported having borrowed money, with 92 per cent of them still having to repay all or some of that debt. Returnees often reported stress, stigma, and shame because of indebtedness. A reduction in the costs of migration could lead to better, more sustainable reintegration outcomes. 

IOM brings us the story of the many migrants caught between uncertainty and hope, who continue to risk their lives in the Darien Gap, an infamously perilous trek, seeking to reach North America.

With the onset of the cold weather, people in Ukraine would not leave their land and started preparing for the worst – IOM teams supported 109 families in the Kyiv Region with renovation works.

Due to his complicated upbringing, Ievhen has never been able to get a passport or access many of his rights: to have an education, get a decent job, officially marry his partner Marharyta, open a bank account, or receive state benefits – which he should now be entitled to as an internally displaced person. He reached out to IOM’s partner NGO Caritas who referred the family to IOM’s tailored protection services. Legal identity is central to enabling regular migration and to protecting the rights of migrants throughout their migration journeys.

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, nearly 8 million people have fled to neighbouring countries. Poland has received close to 1.5 million people. When Tatiana first arrived in Poland she had significant culture shock; she felt stressed and overwhelmed by the many changes in her life. Tatiana soon realized that she needed to find a job to support her family, but she wanted to do something that she was good at and passionate about. A special IOM initiative in Poland would give Tatiana the chance to meet some amazing women to support her through the difficult period she was enduring.