More than 50 migrants have died after a boat carrying around 150 people capsized off Yemen’s southern coast on Sunday amid rough weather. The vessel went down near the province of Abyan, with only 10 survivors pulled from the water, while dozens more remain missing.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), many of the victims were believed to be Ethiopian nationals. The IOM called the tragedy “heartbreaking” and highlighted the growing dangers faced by migrants making the perilous journey from the Horn of Africa to the Gulf states through Yemen.
Abdusattor Esoev, IOM’s chief in Yemen, told the Associated Press that 54 bodies had been recovered onshore in the Khanfar district, while another 14 were taken to a hospital morgue in Zinjibar, Abyan’s provincial capital.
Local authorities have launched a large-scale search and rescue operation, with the Abyan security directorate confirming that bodies were being found across a wide stretch of the coastline.
A spokesperson for the IOM expressed deep sorrow over the incident, stressing the urgent need for stronger protection for vulnerable migrants who are often at the mercy of human traffickers. “This tragic loss of life underscores the need for safer migration pathways and action against smugglers who prey on desperation,” the IOM said.
Yemen remains one of the busiest—and deadliest—migration corridors, despite its ongoing conflict and instability. Migrants, mostly from Ethiopia and Somalia, continue to risk their lives hoping to reach jobs in the Gulf. The IOM reported over 60,000 arrivals in Yemen so far in 2024 alone.
The route has proven deadly time and again. In March, over 180 migrants were feared dead after two boats sank off Yemen’s Dhubab coast. Survivors and aid agencies say smugglers are increasingly reckless, launching overcrowded boats even during dangerous sea conditions to avoid detection.
Over the past decade, the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has recorded more than 3,400 deaths and disappearances on this route—1,400 of them from drowning alone.
