At least 49 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers have died, and 140 others are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Yemen. The boat carrying 260 people - Somalis and Ethiopians - sank on Monday near Alghareef Point in Yemen's Shabwah governorate. Among those who lost their lives in the tragedy are 31 women and six children, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“This recent tragedy is another reminder of the urgent need to work together to address urgent migration challenges and ensure the safety and security of migrants along migration routes,” said Mohammedali Abunajela, IOM spokesperson in a statement Tuesday.
“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, as we remain committed to supporting survivors and improving search and rescue efforts in the region.”
According to survivors, the boat left Bossaso in Somalia, about 330 kilometers from Yemen, at around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, carrying 115 Somali nationals and 145 Ethiopians, including 90 women.
The UN agency has mobilized two mobile medical teams to provide immediate assistance to the survivors, including six children. Of the 71 survivors, eight required further medical attention and were referred to a hospital, while the remaining 63 survivors received first aid and minor treatment, including trauma care and wound dressing, at the on-site mobile clinic.
Search and rescue operations continue despite significant challenges due to a lack of operational patrol boats, a situation further complicated by the recent resumption of conflict.
According to IOM, members of the local community, including fishermen, have played a crucial role in the aftermath, assisting with recovery efforts and helping to bury the deceased at the Ayn-Bamaabed cemetery.
Despite these efforts, 140 people remain unaccounted for and additional search and rescue efforts are underway as more bodies continue to wash ashore in various locations.
There has been a recent increase in mixed migration, including migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa traveling to Yemen, driven by violence, persecution, political and economic instability, as well as severe droughts and other extreme weather events in countries such as Ethiopia and Somalia.
The new tragedy comes on the heels of two separate shipwrecks on the same route off the coast of Djibouti, which claimed the lives of at least 62 people. Since 2014, IOM's Missing Migrants Project has recorded 1,860 deaths and disappearances along the eastern route from the East and Horn of Africa to the Gulf countries, including 480 drownings.
The Eastern Horn of Africa to Yemen is one of the world's busiest and most dangerous mixed migration routes, used by hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees, most of whom travel irregularly. Often relying on smugglers, women, men and children often face increased risks, including trafficking, during the perilous boat journey to Yemen's shores.
Despite the ongoing conflict in Yemen, thousands of people continue to transit through Yemen in hopes of reaching Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. In 2023, IOM recorded more than 97,200 arrivals in Yemen, surpassing the 2022 figure of just over 73,000.
Further information
Full text: 49 Migrants Dead, 140 Missing in Shipwreck Off Yemen Coast, International Organization for Migration (IOM), press release, published June 11, 2024
https://www.iom.int/news/49-migrants-dead-140-missing-shipwreck-yemen-coast
Website: International Organization for Migration: Missing Migrants Project
https://missingmigrants.iom.int/