HARGEISA (SD) – Close to 200 refugees who fled from Yemen have arrived in Somaliland barely two days after the state’s foreign ministry confirmed that Somaliland was ready to host Afghan refugees following talks with US government.

According to Somaliland authorities, 177 Yemeni refugees arrived in Bossaso and Berbera on Sunday.

Last Saturday, Somaliland authorities in northern Somalia agreed in general terms to the idea of hosting refugees from Afghanistan

Somaliland foreign ministry official of the breakaway Somaliland who spoke to AFP said that Hargeisa had entered into discussions with US officials about temporarily hosting Afghan refugees.

“We (in) principle agree… to host Afghan refugees for the transit period,” the official said, adding that the agreement was still at a preliminary stage, with technicalities still to be worked out and no date set for their arrival.

Thousands of Afghans are fleeing the country after Taliban fighters announced early this month, they had entered Kabul and took control of the presidential palace.