More and more Ethiopians are risking their lives at sea in attempts to reach Yemen
On Monday, Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed "deep sorrow" and conveyed its condolences to the victims' families, in a statement reported by the state-backed Fana Media Corporation. The ministry also urged Ethiopian citizens to "avoid irregular migration routes" and to "protect themselves from human traffickers, who exploit vulnerable individuals and expose them to life-threatening risks."
Sinkings along this route, one of the "one of the world's most dangerous migration corridors," according to the IOM, are not uncommon. In March, four migrant boats sank in the area, resulting in a grim toll of 180 missing individuals. Moreover, these figures do not include other damage they can suffer at sea: On Wednesday, at least seven Ethiopians died from thirst and hunger, and several others went missing after a boat traveling from Somalia to Yemen broke down in the open sea.
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LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
More and more Ethiopians are risking their lives at sea in attempts to reach Yemen
It was the deadliest boat accident on the migration path known as the "Eastern Route" in the past five years. On Sunday, August 3, at least 90 people drowned off the coast of Yemen, near the town of Shoqra. According to Abdusattor Esoev, the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Chief of Mission in Yemen, 154 people were aboard a wooden boat when it capsized in the Gulf of Aden. The boat was overloaded and sailing in rough seas, and though 12 migrants – all men – survived, around 50 other people were still missing. All of them hailed from Ethiopia. On Monday, Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed "deep sorrow" and conveyed its condolences to the victims' families, in a statement reported by the state-backed Fana Media Corporation. The ministry also urged Ethiopian citizens to "avoid irregular migration routes" and to "protect themselves from human traffickers, who exploit vulnerable individuals and expose them to life-threatening risks." Sinkings along this route, one of the "one of the world's most dangerous migration corridors," according to the IOM, are not uncommon. In March, four migrant boats sank in the area, resulting in a grim toll of 180 missing individuals. Moreover, these figures do not include other damage they can suffer at sea: On Wednesday, at least seven Ethiopians died from thirst and hunger, and several others went missing after a boat traveling from Somalia to Yemen broke down in the open sea.
Euronews
04-08-2025
- Euronews
UN says 68 African migrants were killed after boat capsized off Yemen
The UN says 68 people were killed and more than 70 were missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Yemen on Sunday. It's the latest in a series of shipwrecks off Yemen that have killed hundreds of African migrants fleeing poverty and conflict zones in hopes of reaching the wealthy Gulf Arab countries. The vessel – which was carrying 154 Ethiopian migrants – sank in the Gulf of Aden, off the southern Yemeni province of Abyan. Only 12 migrants on board the ship survived the accident, according to the head of the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Yemen, Abdusattor Esoev. Esoev added that the bodies of 54 migrants washed ashore in the district of Khanfar. 14 others were found dead and taken to a hospital morgue in Zinjibar, the provincial capital on Yemen's southern coast. The Abyan security directorate says a massive search and rescue operation is underway given the large number of dead and missing migrants. It noted that a large amount of dead bodies have already been retrieved after being found scattered across a wide area of the shore. Yemen is still a major route for migrants from East and the Horn of Africa trying to reach Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries for work, despite a crippling civil war spanning more than a decade. Migrants are often taken on dangerous and overcrowded vessels by smugglers and travel across the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden. In recent months, the UN has verified that hundreds of African migrants lost their lives making these dangerous trips. In March, two people were confirmed dead and 186 others missing after four boats carrying hundreds of migrants capsized off the coasts of Yemen and Djibouti, according to the IOM. In 2024, more than 60,000 African migrants arrived in Yemen, an approximately 38% decrease from 2023 figures which surpassed 97,000. The IOM says the decrease is attributed to greater patrolling of the waters by Yemeni and regional authorities.
LeMonde
03-08-2025
- LeMonde
The UN says 68 Ethiopian migrants were killed when a boat capsized off Yemen's coast
A boat capsized on Sunday, August 3, in waters off Yemen's coast leaving 68 African migrants dead and 74 others missing, the UN's migration agency said. The tragedy was the latest in a series of shipwrecks off Yemen that have killed hundreds of African migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in hopes of reaching the wealthy Gulf Arab countries. The vessel, with 154 Ethiopian migrants on board, sank in the Gulf of Aden off the southern Yemeni province of Abyan early Sunday, announced Abdusattor Esoev, head of the International Organization for Migration in Yemen. 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. In a statement, the Abyan security directorate described a massive search-and-rescue operation given the large number of dead and missing migrants. It said many dead bodies were found scattered across a wide area of the shore. 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. More than 60,000 migrants arrived in Yemen in 2024, down from 97,200 in 2023, probably because of greater patrolling of the waters, according to an IOM report in March.
