Ethiopians told to ‘avoid irregular routes' after Yemen disaster
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said 157 people were on board when the vessel went down Sunday in the Gulf of Aden. It had been heading toward Yemen's southern Abyan governorate, a common destination for boats smuggling migrants seeking passage to wealthier Gulf states.
'Ethiopia mourns the tragic loss of 60+ citizens in a maritime disaster off Yemen's coast,' the country's permanent mission in Geneva posted on X, adding that authorities in Addis Ababa were 'working with partners to investigate' the tragedy and 'urges citizens to avoid irregular routes.'
Each year, thousands of Africans travel from Djibouti to Yemen across the Red Sea, hoping to reach oil-rich Gulf countries to work as domestic workers or laborers. Many come from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, which was devastated by war between 2020 and 2022.
The Red Sea route is among the world's most dangerous migration corridors, according to the IOM, which documented at least 558 deaths there in 2023.
In March, at least 180 people were reported missing off the coast of Yemen, the vast majority of them Ethiopians.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Death toll in Yemen migrant shipwreck tops 90
More than 90 people were killed when a migrant boat sank off Yemen's coast, Yemeni officials and a source at the International Organization for Migration told AFP Tuesday, updating earlier tolls. The boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants sank on Sunday as it headed towards Abyan governorate in southern Yemen. Late Tuesday, a Yemeni source at UN agency the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that two bodies, which were initially buried by local fishermen after they washed up on the beach and began rotting, had been recovered. This has taken the toll of confirmed deaths from the shipwreck to 96. Earlier a Yemeni security source and a local official in Abyan said 94 bodies had been recovered and most of them had been buried, with the local official saying corpses were still washing up on the shore. A journalist collaborating with AFP saw at least two corpses washed up on the shore, near the area where the ship sank. He also saw worn-out tents and African people being trucked out of the remote area from which smugglers operate. Authorities said security forces and government allies in Abyan carried out a sweep against camp sites for migrants on the coast, operated by smugglers. Abyan's province top security official, Brigadier General Ali Nasser Buzaid, said the dead included men and women. Local authorities and the IOM said the boat was carrying around 200 people. On Monday, two Yemeni security officials told AFP that 32 people were rescued and dozens were still missing. Despite the civil war that has ravaged Yemen since 2014, the impoverished country has remained a key transit point for irregular migration, in particular from Ethiopia which itself has been roiled by ethnic conflict.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Ethiopians told to ‘avoid irregular routes' after Yemen disaster
Ethiopia on Tuesday urged its citizens to avoid using dangerous migration routes, two days after a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants sank off the coast of Yemen, killing at least 76 people and leaving dozens missing. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said 157 people were on board when the vessel went down Sunday in the Gulf of Aden. It had been heading toward Yemen's southern Abyan governorate, a common destination for boats smuggling migrants seeking passage to wealthier Gulf states. 'Ethiopia mourns the tragic loss of 60+ citizens in a maritime disaster off Yemen's coast,' the country's permanent mission in Geneva posted on X, adding that authorities in Addis Ababa were 'working with partners to investigate' the tragedy and 'urges citizens to avoid irregular routes.' Each year, thousands of Africans travel from Djibouti to Yemen across the Red Sea, hoping to reach oil-rich Gulf countries to work as domestic workers or laborers. Many come from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, which was devastated by war between 2020 and 2022. The Red Sea route is among the world's most dangerous migration corridors, according to the IOM, which documented at least 558 deaths there in 2023. In March, at least 180 people were reported missing off the coast of Yemen, the vast majority of them Ethiopians.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Ethiopians told to ‘avoid irregular routes' after Yemen disaster
ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia on Tuesday asked citizens to 'avoid irregular routes,' two days after a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants sank off Yemen, killing at least 76 and leaving dozens missing. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said 157 people were on board when the vessel sank on Sunday in the Gulf of Aden. It was headed for the Abyan governorate in southern Yemen, a popular destination for boats smuggling Africans hoping to reach wealthy Gulf states. 'Ethiopia mourns the tragic loss of 60+ (plus) citizens in a maritime disaster off Yemen's coast,' Ethiopia's permanent mission in Geneva wrote on X adding that authorities in Addis Ababa are 'working with partners to investigate and urges citizens to avoid irregular routes.' Thousands of Africans travel from Djibouti to Yemen across the Red Sea, hoping to reach oil-rich Gulf states to work as laborers or domestic workers. Many are from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, which was ravaged by war between 2020 and 2022. The Red Sea migrant route is one of the world's most dangerous, according to IOM, which documented at least 558 deaths last year. In March, at least 180 people were reported missing off the Yemeni coast, the vast majority of them Ethiopians.
