At least 68 dead after migrant boat capsizes off Yemen’s coast

At least 68 migrants have died and many remain missing after a boat carrying approximately 157 people capsized off Yemen’s southern coast on Sunday, in what is being described as one of the deadliest recent maritime tragedies in the region.

The vessel overturned near the province of Abyan during rough weather. According to Abdusattor Esoev, the Yemen chief for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), only 12 people have been rescued so far. “The fate of the missing is still unknown,” he told the BBC.

Most of those on board are believed to be Ethiopian nationals, attempting the dangerous journey from the Horn of Africa to Gulf countries in search of work and stability. The IOM called the incident “heartbreaking” and said it is another grim reminder of the risks migrants face when using irregular routes often controlled by smugglers.

The bodies of 54 migrants were discovered along the shores of Khanfar district, while 14 others were taken to a morgue in Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, according to reports from the Associated Press (AP). The Abyan security directorate confirmed an extensive search and recovery operation is ongoing along a wide stretch of coastline.

“This heartbreaking incident underscores the urgent need for enhanced protection mechanisms for migrants undertaking perilous journeys, often facilitated by unscrupulous smugglers who exploit desperation and vulnerability,” said an IOM spokesperson.

Esoev also reiterated the organization’s call for stronger legal migration frameworks. “What we are advocating for all member states… is to enhance their regular pathways so people can take legal ways in order to migrate, instead of being trapped or deceived by smugglers and taking those dangerous journeys,” he said.

Despite ongoing instability and conflict, Yemen remains a major transit point for migrants heading toward Saudi Arabia. The journey across the Gulf of Aden is considered one of the busiest and most hazardous migration routes in the world.

In March, two other boats carrying over 180 migrants sank off Yemen’s Dhubab district, with almost all passengers presumed dead. The IOM has also warned that smugglers are increasingly launching boats in unsafe conditions to evade patrols, further endangering lives.

More than 60,000 migrants have arrived in Yemen so far in 2024, many unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Over the last decade, the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has recorded more than 3,400 deaths and disappearances along this route, with 1,400 of them attributed to drowning.