ACERWC African Committee of Experts on the Rights & Welfare of the Child and Egypt as well as challenges of trafficking and kidnappings along this route migrants are less interested in taking the route.329 Map 4: Sinai Northern route 330 4.1.3 The Eastern Route The Eastern route stretches into Yemen and Saudi Arabia and was the most popular route for movement from the Horn of Africa.331 The route has been widely popular particularly among Somalis and Ethiopians.332 Previously, the route was often used by Somalis who accounted to two thirds of the flows but from 2010 number of Ethiopians using this route became higher than that of Somalis.333 About 92, 446 persons arrived in Yemen in 2015, 89 percent being Ethiopians and 11 per cent Somali.334 RMMS pointed out that although the data on children and youth who took the route is not known, it is estimated that 20 per cent of the 91, 000 people who travelled to Yemen in 2014 were children who were unaccompanied.335 In the recent past the number of people using the eastern route has been fluctuating, in the first quarter of 2017, the number of migrants who used this route was about 15,498 which signified a decline of 17% from the ‘final quarter of 2016 and a 44 per cent decrease compared to the first quarter of 2016.’336 Due to the conflict in Yemen the trend in movement between Djibouti and Yemen has significantly changed.337 The ongoing conflict in Yemen has made the eastern route less attractive.338 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 62 As above. Marchand (n 312 above) p 28. RMMS (n 272 above) p24. Marchand (n 312 above) p 29. GIZ et al, irregular Migration from and in the East and Horn of Africa (2016) p 31. RMMS (n 272 above) p24. As above. Marchand (n 312 above) p 29. GIZ et al, irregular Migration from and in the East and Horn of Africa (2016) p 31. Marchand (n 312 above) p 30.