76 Dead, Dozens Missing In Ethiopian Migrant Boat Accident
At least 76 people have died and dozens remain missing after a boat carrying mainly Ethiopian migrants sank off the coast of southern Yemen, in yet another tragedy along one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.
Yemeni security officials told AFP that 76 bodies had been recovered from the Gulf of Aden, while 32 people were rescued.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed that 157 individuals were aboard the ill-fated vessel when it capsized near Abyan governorate, a common landing point for migrant boats making the dangerous journey from the Horn of Africa.
“This is a devastating reminder of the peril faced by migrants along this route. The fate of the missing is still unknown,” said Abdusattor Esoev, IOM’s chief of mission in Yemen.
Despite nearly a decade of civil war, Yemen remains a key transit hub for migrants, particularly from Ethiopia, seeking work opportunities in wealthy Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Many travel via the so-called “Eastern Route,” departing from Djibouti and crossing the Red Sea into Yemen in hopes of a better life.
According to IOM, at least 558 people died on the Red Sea migration route last year, including 462 due to shipwrecks. Just weeks ago, at least eight migrants drowned after smugglers forced them overboard mid-sea.
Most of those on board the vessel that sank were Ethiopian nationals, according to Abyan’s security directorate and an IOM source. Survivors have been transferred to Aden, Yemen’s main southern port city, as search and recovery operations continue.
Migrants arriving in Yemen face not only treacherous seas but also serious risks on land. The country’s ongoing conflict has left many stranded, with thousands subjected to abuse, exploitation, and extortion by smugglers and armed groups.
In April, more than 60 people were killed in an airstrike on a migrant detention facility in northern Yemen, an attack blamed by the Huthi rebels on the United States.
While the Gulf countries host large populations of African and South Asian migrant workers, the routes leading there remain deadly.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait, the narrow maritime passage between Djibouti and Yemen, is a key crossing point, used for both commercial shipping and irregular migration, and a hotspot for human trafficking.
Authorities in Abyan say efforts are ongoing to retrieve more bodies from the wreckage, as families back home wait for information on their loved ones.
76 Dead, Dozens Missing In Ethiopian Migrant Boat Accident is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
