More Than 140 Migrants Believed Dead as Boat Capsizes Off Yemen

A tragic migrant shipwreck off the southern coast of Yemen resulted in more than 140 presumed deaths, after a vessel carrying 154 Ethiopians capsized early Sunday in the Gulf of Aden near Abyan province.

Only 12 people survived, while UN officials say 68 bodies have been recovered and about 74 people remain missing and presumed dead.

The bodies of 54 individuals washed ashore in Khanfar district, and another 14 were taken to the morgue in Zinjibar. Authorities launched a large-scale rescue operation amid rough weather conditions.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicates that this region remains one of the world’s most perilous routes for migrants escaping poverty and conflict in the Horn of Africa, many of whom travel by overcrowded smuggler-led boats in hopes of reaching Gulf countries.

This incident is the latest in a deadly pattern. Earlier in the year, several boats capsized off Yemen and Djibouti, leaving two confirmed dead and 186 missing.

Migrant arrivals in Yemen dropped from over 97,000 in 2023 to around 60,000 in 2024, possibly due to increased maritime patrols, though the humanitarian toll continues to climb.

Source: AP news, AFP, Reuters, The Guardian