UN says 68 African migrants were killed when boat capsized off Yemen
The tragedy was the latest in a series of shipwrecks off Yemen that have killed hundreds of African migrants hoping to reach the wealthy Gulf Arab countries.
The vessel, with 154 Ethiopian migrants on board, sank off the southern province of Abyan early Sunday, Abdusattor Esoev, head of the International Organization for Migration in Yemen told The Associated Press.
He said the bodies of 54 migrants washed ashore in the district of Khanfar, and 14 others were found dead and taken to a hospital morgue in Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan on Yemen's southern coast.
Only 12 migrants survived the shipwreck, and the rest were missing and presumed dead, Esoev said.
Despite more than a decade of civil war, Yemen is a major route for migrants from East Africa and the Horn of Africa trying to reach the Gulf Arab countries for work. Migrants are taken by smugglers on often dangerous, overcrowded boats across the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden.
Hundreds of migrants have died or gone missing in shipwrecks off Yemen in recent months, including in March when two migrants died and 186 others were missing after four boats capsized off Yemen and Djibouti, according to the IOM.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Zoo makes unique request: Donate your pets to feed our predators
A Denmark zoo is requesting donations of healthy horses and other small pets to feed their captive predatory animals. The Aalborg Zoo said it accepts live horses, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs to give to carnivorous animals in its care, calling them an important part of their predators' diets. The zoo, located in Denmark's North Jutland region, argued it has a responsibility to mimic the natural food chain among animals. Donated animals are "gently euthanized" by its staff before being served as fodder. The zoo discussed the feeding donation program in a Facebook post on July 31, garnering dozens of reactions, including many who pushed back on the initiative. Animals: Zoo camera captures rare moment endangered 'African unicorn' calf takes his first steps Zoo shares rules for animal donations The zoo accepts guinea pigs, chickens, and rabbits on weekdays. Donors are allowed to give four at a time. On its website, the Aalborg Zoo explained that there are specific requirements for those who want to donate horses: Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Fest at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Aurora offers taste of Africa
Kathleen Dewig of Batavia elected to be a little more adventurous with her lunch this past weekend and elected to try some authentic Nigerian food. 'I've never had this type of cuisine before,' Dewig sat as she sat in an open room with tables Sunday afternoon inside St. Joseph Catholic Church in Aurora. 'It's very spicy, and I like the spicy chicken and the rice.' A trip through Nigerian and other African cuisines, as well as food from other areas of the world, was offered Sunday at St. Joseph Catholic Church as the non-profit Sycamore-based ImaBridge Africa International group offered a two-hour International Taste Festival beginning at 12:30 p.m. Following a Mass at 11 a.m., the church featured cultural performances, an African cooking contest, kids' games and a plethora of food as the non-profit group hoped to raise money through food tickets and donations for the underprivileged in Nigeria. This year's effort focused on helping a hospital in Nigeria, organizers said. Ndifrekeabasi Ecim of Nigeria was on hand Sunday and said she was the administrator for the ImaBridge Africa-owned hospital back home. 'This is going to go a long way to help the vulnerable people – the women who cannot have their children elsewhere – this will help them procure all the help they need for the babies and themselves,' Ecim said of Sunday's fundraiser. The Rev. Godwin Asuquo, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church of Aurora and also founder of ImaBridge Africa, said the event used to be held in McHenry and was moved here to Aurora last year, following his being assigned to the Aurora church, adding that he was 'wanting to create more awareness.' 'People in McHenry are familiar with this and we wanted to spread the word to another area,' Asuquo said a few days before the event. 'This is the ninth year we have held the fundraiser and the second time we have had it in Aurora. I was transferred from McHenry to Aurora so some of this was for convenience but also to expand awareness. People from McHenry still come here and we are bringing more people.' Cecelia Adams, director of public relations for ImaBridge Africa, said the goal of this year's event was to make it even more multicultural. 'We have foods from different places in Africa but also tamales and other groups. We moved to Aurora to expand ourselves both in ethnicity and also to get the word out for others to help those in need across the globe,' she said. The event focuses on authentic cuisine, Asuquo said. 'We have people of Nigerian or African descent that have flown in and are here with us already – close to 10 people that have arrived from Nigeria who are cooking the food from scratch,' he said before the event. 'We also have people from different ethnicities and we want to make this more of an international festival where we get to learn about different peoples' cultures.' Officials said the event would raise as much as $30,000 when it was held in McHenry and that ImaBridge Africa is also seeking grants. 'Our goal is to raise $30,000 this year. We didn't make that much last year but we think it was because we switched (locations),' Adams said. 'I've personally been to Nigeria about 12 times and it's the culture and the food that keeps me coming back.' Gail Wright of Aurora came with her husband Tom and grandson Gabe and said she used to teach in the area. 'We wanted to support ImaBridge Africa and also see Father Godwin who we know,' she said. 'I know there is African food and we're absolutely excited about that and trying it. I only know what Father Godwin told us about the food but we missed it last year.'
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
Dozens killed as Palestinians in Gaza scramble for aid from air and land
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Dozens of Palestinians were killed or wounded on Monday as desperate crowds headed toward food distribution points and airdropped parcels in the Gaza Strip, according to witnesses and local health officials. Israel's blockade and military offensive have made it nearly impossible to safely deliver aid, contributing to the territory's slide toward famine nearly 22 months into the war with Hamas. Aid groups say Israel's week-old measures to allow more aid in are far from sufficient. Families of hostages in Gaza fear starvation affects them too, but blame Hamas. Several hundred Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since May while heading toward food distribution sites and aid convoys, according to witnesses, local health officials and the United Nations human rights office. The military says it has only fired warning shots and disputes the toll. As international alarm has mounted, several countries have airdropped aid over Gaza. The U.N. and aid groups call such drops costly and dangerous for residents, and say they deliver far less aid than trucks. AP video shows scramble for airdropped aid Many food parcels dropped by air have splashed into the Mediterranean Sea or landed in so-called red zones from which Israel's military has ordered people to evacuate. In either case, Palestinians risk their lives to get flour and other basic goods. On Monday, Palestinians cheered as pallets of aid were parachuted over Zuweida in central Gaza. Associated Press footage showed a desperate scramble when the parcels hit the ground, with hundreds of people racing toward them. Fistfights broke out and some men wielded batons. 'I wish they would deliver it through the (land) crossings,' Rabah Rabah said earlier as he waited for the airdrop. 'This is inhuman.' At least one parcel fell on a tent where displaced people had been sheltering, injuring a man who was taken to a hospital. His condition was not immediately known. Dozens killed seeking aid At least 16 people were killed late Sunday near the Israeli-controlled Zikim Crossing, the main entry point for aid to northern Gaza, according to records at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, which showed that more than 130 people were wounded. The circumstances were not immediately clear, but the crossing has seen several shootings in recent days that witnesses and health officials blamed on Israeli forces. There was no immediate comment from the military. At least 10 people were killed as thousands waited for aid trucks in the Morag Corridor, which the Israeli military carved out between the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah. Mohammed al-Masri, who was among the crowds, said Israeli forces opened fire when a group of young men tried to make their way to the front. 'The occupation forces shot many people in the head and in the back,' he said, adding that he saw four wounded people, one motionless on the ground. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said it received 10 bodies from Morag and another five who were killed near an aid site in southern Gaza run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed American contractor. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. It said a new U.N. route runs near two of its sites in the south and has drawn large crowds of people who unload the convoys. GHF says its contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots on a few occasions to prevent deadly crowding since it opened four sites in May. 'It's a death trap' Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza said it received the bodies of eight people killed near a GHF site in the Israeli-controlled Netzarim Corridor, and that another 50 people were wounded. Witnesses and health officials said Israeli forces had fired toward the crowds. An Associated Press photo showed a man carrying a body away from the site, as others hauled bags of food. 'It's like yesterday, and the day before,' said Ayman Ruqab, a young Palestinian who said he had tried unsuccessfully to reach the site for the past three days. 'It's a death trap.' The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people who approached 'in a manner that posed a threat to the troops,' without elaborating. It said it was not aware of any casualties. Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. They still hold 50 hostages, around 20 of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed more than 60,900 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but says around half the dead have been women and children, is staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable casualty count. Israel has disputed the figures but hasn't provided its own.
