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Tragedy Strikes Off Yemen’s Coast as Migrant Boat Capsizes, Leaving Scores Dead
Cairo – A devastating shipwreck off the coast of Yemen has claimed the lives of at least 68 African migrants, with 74 others still missing and feared dead, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The overcrowded vessel, carrying 154 Ethiopian migrants, sank early Sunday in the Gulf of Aden, off the southern Yemeni province of Abyan. IOM official Abdusattor Esoev confirmed the grim news, reporting that 54 bodies washed ashore in the Khanfar district, while another 14 were recovered and transported to a morgue in the provincial capital, Zinjibar. Only 12 survivors have been found.
Local authorities in Abyan described a large-scale search and rescue operation underway, with bodies tragically scattered along the coastline.
Yemen, despite enduring years of civil war, remains a primary transit point for migrants from the Horn of Africa seeking work in the wealthier Gulf Arab states. Smugglers often transport these vulnerable individuals in dangerously overcrowded boats across the treacherous waters of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
This latest tragedy underscores the ongoing risks faced by migrants making the perilous journey. Hundreds have perished or disappeared in similar shipwrecks off Yemen in recent months, including an incident in March where two died and 186 went missing. While migrant arrivals in Yemen decreased to over 60,000 in 2024, down from over 97,000 the previous year, likely due to increased patrols, the journey remains fraught with danger.