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SHIMBIRO, SOMALIA- DECEMBER 2007 .Carrying plastic bags filled with biscuits, dried dates and some spare clothes for the journey,migrants and refugees make their way up into the steep cliffs above Shimbiro Beach as theyprepare to spend a further night waiting to depart from Somalia. Groups gather and try to makethemselves comfortable between the crags, while others perch nervously high above the waterbelow. Translated from Somali, this headland on Africa's Horn is called Òthe place of birdsÓ.Bad weather and preparations by boat crews often delay departures from the beaches aroundBossaso, forcing the tahrib to spend nights camped out amid the rocky cliffs. By the time they areboarded onto the small fishing boats that will take them on the two day voyage across the Gulfof Aden, most have finished off the meagre supplies brought with them. Already tired, weak andhungry, the most dangerous and grueling part of their journey still lies ahead. (KEYSTONE/NOOR/Alixandra Fazzina)