A tragic shipwreck off the coast of Yemen has resulted in the deaths of at least 68 people, with dozens still unaccounted for, according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The boat, which was carrying primarily Ethiopian migrants, sank earlier this week.
Abdusattor Esoev, the IOM’s chief of mission in Yemen, stated that as of the previous night, 68 people on board the vessel had died, and only 12 of the 157 passengers had been rescued.
He also noted that the whereabouts of the remaining missing individuals remain unknown.
Initial reports from two security officials in Abyan province, a known landing spot for migrant smuggling vessels, estimated 27 deaths on Sunday, August 3, before the toll climbed.
Despite years of war since 2014, Yemen remains a major transit route for migrants, especially those fleeing instability in Ethiopia.
Each year, thousands risk their lives on what is known as the “Eastern Route,” traveling across the Red Sea from Djibouti to Yemen in hopes of reaching wealthier Gulf nations.
According to security authorities in Abyan, the boat that capsized was transporting mainly Ethiopian nationals. Recovery efforts are ongoing, with a “significant” number of bodies yet to be retrieved.
Just last month, at least eight migrants drowned after smugglers forced them off a boat into the Red Sea, the UN agency reported.
The IOM has warned of the growing dangers faced by migrants in the region, many of whom end up stranded in Yemen where they face exploitation and abuse. In 2023 alone, the agency recorded at least 558 deaths along the Red Sea migration route 462 of those due to shipwrecks.
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