A boat carrying 154 Ethiopian migrants capsized off Yemen’s coast on Sunday, killing at least 68 people and leaving 74 others missing. The tragedy is the latest in a series of shipwrecks off Yemen that have claimed hundreds of lives.
According to Abdusattor Esoev, head of the International Organization for Migration in Yemen, the vessel sank in the Gulf of Aden near Abyan province. Fifty-four bodies washed ashore in Khanfar district, while 14 more were found dead and taken to a hospital morgue in Zinjibar.
Only 12 migrants survived the shipwreck, with the rest presumed dead. Yemen is a major route for East African and Horn of African migrants trying to reach Gulf Arab countries for work. The country’s civil war has led to increased smuggler activity, putting migrants at risk on overcrowded and often dangerous boats across the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden.
In recent months, hundreds of migrants have died or gone missing in shipwrecks off Yemen. Despite a decrease in migrant arrivals this year due to increased patrolling of the waters, the tragedy highlights the ongoing risks faced by those seeking a better life abroad.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/migration-yemen-shipwreck-c2c28d70e51ed01086493aaece2e4f35