A boat carrying around 150 migrants capsized off the coast of Yemen’s Abyan province on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of at least 68 people. The boat, mostly carrying Ethiopian nationals, was en route to Gulf states in search of better economic opportunities.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), only 12 survivors have been rescued, while dozens remain unaccounted for. This tragic incident highlights the deadly risks that migrants face when attempting to cross the Arabian Sea to reach the Gulf region.
Yemen’s southern coast has long been a key transit point for migrants from the Horn of Africa, especially those seeking to reach Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.
Despite Yemen’s ongoing conflict, it continues to serve as a primary route for migrants desperate for economic survival. The IOM describes the region as one of the world’s busiest and most perilous mixed migration corridors.
In 2024 alone, more than 60,000 migrants have arrived in Yemen, according to IOM data. However, the journey is fraught with dangers, as smugglers often use unseaworthy boats and risk navigating rough waters to avoid detection by authorities.
The capsizing of this boat underscores the grave dangers migrants face in their attempts to reach better opportunities.
Following the tragedy, local authorities launched a large-scale search and rescue operation. As of now, the bodies of 54 migrants have been found in Khanfar district, and 14 others have been taken to a morgue in Zinjibar, the provincial capital.
Efforts to recover more bodies continue along a wide coastal area, with the IOM actively assisting in the search.
The IOM has expressed deep concern over the exploitation of migrants by smugglers, who continue to put lives at risk for financial gain.
“This heartbreaking incident highlights the urgent need for enhanced protection mechanisms for migrants,” said an IOM spokesperson. They urged governments to expand legal migration opportunities to prevent people from resorting to such perilous journeys.
Between 2014 and 2024, over 3,400 deaths and disappearances have been recorded along this migration route, with more than 1,400 of these fatalities attributed to drowning.
The IOM is calling for more measures to ensure safer and legal migration pathways to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation and deadly risks.
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