At least 76 people have drowned and dozens remain missing after a boat packed with Ethiopian migrants capsized off the coast of southern Yemen, marking another grim tragedy on one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes.
Yemeni officials reported that 76 bodies had been recovered from the Gulf of Aden, while 32 survivors were rescued. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated that 157 people were aboard the vessel when it sank near Abyan, a frequent landing spot for migrants crossing from the Horn of Africa.
“This tragedy highlights the extreme dangers migrants face on this route. The whereabouts of the missing are still unknown,” said Abdusattor Esoev, IOM’s Yemen mission chief.
Despite Yemen’s ongoing civil war, the country remains a major transit point for migrants, primarily Ethiopians, seeking work in Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Many risk the perilous “Eastern Route,” sailing from Djibouti across the Red Sea to Yemen.
The IOM reports that at least 558 migrants died on this route last year, with 462 deaths linked to shipwrecks. Just weeks ago, eight migrants drowned after smugglers threw them overboard.
Most victims in the latest disaster were Ethiopian, according to Abyan’s security officials and an IOM source. Survivors have been taken to Aden as search efforts continue.
Migrants reaching Yemen face not only deadly sea crossings but also exploitation, abuse, and violence on land. In April, over 60 people died in an airstrike on a migrant detention center in northern Yemen, an incident Huthi rebels blamed on the U.S.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial passage between Djibouti and Yemen, is a hotspot for both trade and human trafficking. As recovery teams search for more victims, families anxiously await news of their missing loved ones.
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