Migrant Boat Sinks Off Yemen Coast, Claiming Dozens of Lives
A migrant boat carrying 260 individuals sank off Yemen's
coast on Monday, resulting in the deaths of at least 49 people and leaving 140
others missing, according to the United Nations' International Organization for
Migration (IOM). The incident saw 71 survivors, most of whom required minor
medical attention, while eight were hospitalized. Among the survivors were six
children, but tragically, six children and 31 women were among the deceased.
The IOM reported that the boat was transporting 115 Somali
nationals and 145 Ethiopians. Each year, tens of thousands of migrants from the
Horn of Africa brave the perilous journey across the Red Sea, fleeing conflict,
natural disasters, and economic hardship in hopes of reaching the Gulf region.
The ongoing civil war in Yemen has exacerbated the
difficulties faced by search and rescue operations due to a shortage of patrol
boats. Despite these challenges, the IOM continues its efforts to provide
immediate aid to survivors.
This incident follows similar tragedies; in April, two boats
sank off Djibouti's coast within two weeks, resulting in numerous fatalities.
Since 2014, the IOM has recorded 1,350 deaths on this migration route,
excluding this year's toll. In 2023 alone, there have been at least 698
documented deaths, with 105 lost at sea.
Migrants who reach Yemen often face additional dangers.
Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula's poorest nation, has been embroiled in a
decade-long civil war. Many migrants aim to reach Saudi Arabia and other Gulf
states to find employment as laborers or domestic workers. However, a recent
Human Rights Watch report accused Saudi border guards of killing hundreds of
Ethiopians attempting to cross into the kingdom from Yemen between March 2022
and June 2023, claims that Riyadh has denied.
Despite the risks, the number of migrants arriving in Yemen
has surged, tripling from 27,000 in 2021 to over 90,000 in 2023, according to
IOM data.
