GENEVA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) initiated a program designed to address migration challenges in Yemen on Tuesday.

    Funded by the European Union's Instrument for Stability, the 2 million euro program aims to protect the rights of all those involved in migration, according to a press release in Geneva.

    The IOM will train law enforcement officials to identify and assist trafficking victims. The organization will also work with the Yemeni government to develop procedures for administering its land and sea borders.

    According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, an estimated 74,000 Africans, mainly from Ethiopia and Somalia, fled to Yemen last year, a 50 percent increase from 2008.

    The Geneva-based IOM was founded in 1951 and has 127 members.