At least 76 people have died and dozens remain missing after a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants sank off the coast of Southern Yemen, officials confirmed on Monday.
According to Yemeni security officials, the boat sank in the Gulf of Aden near Abyan governorate. Authorities recovered 76 bodies and rescued 32 survivors. The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the boat carried 157 people.
Some survivors were transferred to Aden, a nearby port city, for medical assistance. The IOM earlier reported at least 68 deaths, but local authorities have since updated the toll.
IOM Yemen Chief Abdusattor Esoev told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that “the fate of the missing is still unknown.”
Despite Yemen’s ongoing civil war since 2014, the country remains a key transit route for African migrants, especially from Ethiopia, who hope to reach wealthy Gulf States like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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Every year, thousands of migrants risk their lives on the “Eastern Route,” crossing the Red Sea from Djibouti to Yemen. Many fall victim to smugglers, dangerous sea conditions, and violence.
In 2023, the IOM recorded at least 558 migrant deaths along this route. Most deaths were caused by boat accidents.
Just last month, eight migrants died when smugglers forced them to jump into the sea, according to the UN.
Yemeni officials said recovery efforts continue for a “significant number” of bodies still lost at sea. Most passengers on the boat were confirmed to be Ethiopian nationals.
Migrants heading to the Gulf cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical maritime passage for trade and migration. Once in war-ravaged Yemen, many migrants face abuse, exploitation, and detention.
In April, more than 60 migrants were killed in a strike on a detention center in Yemen, allegedly carried out by the United States, according to Houthi rebels that controls much of the country.
The oil-rich Gulf countries host millions of foreign workers from South Asia and Africa, driving many to risk the dangerous journey.
