countries, in search of work. So why are people from the Horn still trying to reach a conflict-ridden country and what should be done to stop them from embarking on such a dangerous journey?Even awareness of the danger don't change decisions. The Ethiopian state of emergency that was declared October 2016 continues to fuel outward displacement, and Ethiopian asylum seekers refer to the unrest as a key reason for their migration out of the country.Somalis cite a number of reasons for migrating including economic opportunities, tribal conflict, poverty and hardship and conflict between the government and al-Shabab - an extremist jihadist group based in East Africa, tied to al-Qaeda.Two reasons for attempting the journey that most people from the Horn share are a sense of responsibility to their families and positive perceptions of migration.Various agencies have been campaigning to raise awareness of the dangers of embarking on the journey to Yemen. UNHCR launched the "Dangerous Crossings" campaign (video above) in February 2017 featuring a song with prominent musicians from the region. The song is promising in that the various languages of the region are incorporated and the message "thinking carefully before deciding to cross to Yemen" is emphasised.But how many people thinking of leaving their countries have TV or internet access in order to see the campaign's message? The majority of them receive information primarily through their communities: friends, families, relatives, churches and mosques, radio stations, coffee shop gatherings, et cetera.They are also more likely to value the opinions of people personally known to them rather than celebrities. There is little relation between the would-be asylum seekers and artists featured in this campaign.The campaign also doesn't give details of what the "dangerous crossings" entail. It is void of practical details and real-life examples of what people can expect from this journey. The likelihood of the campaign having a trickle-down effect is therefore quite slim.That being said, these efforts are unlikely to stem migration. As long as the political crises, conflict and security issues, economic, environmental and social problems persist in the region, people will continue to look outwards for better prospects.It is known that a high percentage of new arrivals on the shores of Yemen from the Horn every month are repeat asylum seekers. Approximately 25 percent are estimated to have tried to make the journey to live and work in Yemen or to move through to Saudi Arabia.These findings suggest that informing people about the risks through awareness-raising campaigns may not act as a deterrent, indicating a clear need for a long-term strategy for finding solutions and viable alternatives for a better quality of life.That also being said, awareness campaigns are still important because they allow people to make informed decisions and equip them with a full understanding of what lies ahead.To make a long story short, Yemen, one of the Arab world's poorest countries, has been devastated by a war between forces loyal to the Saoudi-Western backed government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi (whose election was not very democratic) and those allied to the Houthi insurgent movement.The conflict and a