More than 60 migrants lost their lives after a boat carrying approximately 150 people sank off Yemen’s coast in adverse weather on Sunday.
The ship overturned near Yemen’s southern Abyan province, with 68 bodies recovered, according to the Yemen chief for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), who spoke to the BBC. He reported that 12 individuals were rescued, while many remain unaccounted for.
Most victims are believed to be Ethiopians, stated the IOM, labeling the event “heartbreaking.”
Yemen is a vital corridor for migrants from the Horn of Africa heading to Gulf Arab nations for employment, with the IOM reporting hundreds have perished or vanished in shipwrecks recently.
IOM Yemen chief Abdusattor Esoev mentioned the vessel carried around 157 migrants on a risky route often exploited by smugglers along the extensive coastal zone.
Yemen serves as a common transit for migrants heading towards Saudi Arabia for better prospects.
The Associated Press reported that 54 migrants’ bodies were found ashore in Khanfar’s southern district, while 14 were taken to a Zinjibar hospital morgue in Abyan’s capital.
An Abyan security directorate statement cited a significant search and rescue mission underway, with several bodies discovered along extensive shoreline areas, as per AP.
An IOM spokesperson expressed being “deeply saddened” by the “tragic loss of life.”
“This heartbreaking event highlights the urgent necessity for improved protection for migrants on dangerous journeys, often exploited by unscrupulous smugglers,” they noted.
Mr. Esoev stressed the significance of enhancing migrant legal protections to prevent smuggler exploitation.
“We urge all member states to enhance regular migration pathways, enabling legal migration instead of resorting to hazardous routes misled by smugglers,” he said.
The IOM earlier described the Horn of Africa to Yemen journey as “one of the busiest and riskiest mixed migration routes.”
In March, two boats with over 180 migrants sank near Yemen’s Dhubab district amid rough seas, leaving all but two crew members missing and presumed dead.
Migrants at Yemen’s Migrant Response Points have reported smugglers growing more reckless, sending boats into perilous conditions to evade patrols, according to an IOM report.
Despite dangers, many continue the journey, with over 60,000 arriving in Yemen in 2024 alone.
In the past decade, IOM’s Missing Migrants Project recorded over 3,400 deaths and missing persons on this route, with 1,400 drownings.