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Tragedy off Yemen: At least 76 migrants dead in deadly shipwreck
At least 76 people have died and dozens remain missing after a boat carrying mainly Ethiopian migrants sank off the southern coast of Yemen, local authorities reported on Monday. The vessel capsized in the Gulf of Aden, near the Abyan governorate, a known transit point for migrants hoping to reach the Gulf states.
According to Yemen’s security sources, 76 bodies have been recovered and 32 survivors have been rescued. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said there were 157 people on board, primarily Ethiopian nationals.
Despite the ongoing civil war in Yemen since 2014, the country continues to serve as a major crossing point for African migrants taking the "Eastern Route" — a treacherous journey from the Horn of Africa, across the Red Sea, and through Yemen to oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Some survivors were taken to Aden for treatment. IOM’s head of mission in Yemen, Abdusattor Esoev, noted that the fate of the remaining passengers is still unknown.
This tragedy follows another deadly incident last month, when smugglers forced migrants off a boat in the Red Sea, killing at least eight people. According to IOM, over 550 migrants died along this route last year, with most fatalities linked to shipwrecks.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates Djibouti from Yemen, remains a corridor for both commercial shipping and dangerous human smuggling. IOM warns that tens of thousands of migrants become stranded in Yemen, suffering abuse and exploitation en route to the Gulf.
In April, a suspected U.S. airstrike killed more than 60 migrants at a detention center in Yemen, according to Houthi authorities who control much of the territory.