Latest news with #Esoev
Egypt Independent
4 days ago
- General
- Egypt Independent
Over 60 African migrants killed and dozens missing after boat capsizes near Yemen, says UN
Cairo AP — A boat capsized Sunday 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, 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. 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.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- General
- Express Tribune
Yemen shipwreck death toll tops 76
At least 76 people were killed and dozens are missing after a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants sank off Yemen, in the latest tragedy on the perilous sea route, officials told AFP Monday. Yemeni security officials said 76 bodies had been recovered and 32 people rescued from the shipwreck in the Gulf of Aden. The UN migration agency said 157 people were on board. Sunday's incident was "one of the deadliest" migrant shipwrecks off Yemen this year, Abdusattor Esoev, the International Organization for Migration's chief of mission for Yemen, told AFP. The ship was headed to Abyan governorate in southern Yemen, a frequent destination for boats smuggling African migrants hoping to reach the wealthy Gulf states. Some of those rescued have been transferred to Yemen's Aden, near Abyan, a security official said. The UN agency earlier gave a toll of at least 68 dead, with Esoev telling AFP that "the fate of the missing is still unknown".
Gulf Today
6 days ago
- General
- Gulf Today
76 African migrants dead, dozens missing after boat sinks off Yemen
At least 76 people were killed and dozens are missing after a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants sank off Yemen, in the latest tragedy on the perilous sea route, officials told AFP on Monday. Yemeni security officials said 76 bodies had been recovered and 32 people rescued from the shipwreck in the Gulf of Aden. The UN migration agency said 157 people were on board. Sunday's incident was "one of the deadliest" migrant shipwrecks off Yemen this year, Abdusattor Esoev, the International Organisation for Migration's chief of mission for Yemen, told AFP. The ship was headed to Abyan governorate in southern Yemen. Some of those rescued have been transferred to Yemen's Aden, near Abyan, a security official said. The UN agency earlier gave a toll of at least 68 dead, with Esoev telling AFP that "the fate of the missing is still unknown." 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. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See's secretary of state, said the Pope was "deeply saddened by the devastating loss of life". 'NO CHOICE' Each year, thousands brave the so-called "Eastern Route" from Djibouti to Yemen across the Red Sea, in the hope of eventually reaching rich countries. The IOM recorded at least 558 deaths on the Red Sea route last year, 462 of them from boat accidents. "This route is predominantly controlled by smugglers and human-trafficking networks... Refugees and migrants have no other alternative but to hire their services," Ayla Bonfiglio, of the Mixed Migration Centre research and policy organisation, told AFP. "Migrants are well aware of the risks, but with no legal pathways and families relying on remittances from Saudi Arabia or the Emirates, many feel they have no choice," she added. Last month, at least eight people died after smugglers forced 150 migrants off a boat in the Red Sea, according to the IOM. The vessel that sank off Abyan was carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants, according to the province's security directorate and an IOM source. Yemeni security forces were recovering a "significant" number of bodies, the Abyan directorate said on Sunday. Agence France-Presse
6 days ago
- General
The UN says 68 African migrants were killed when a boat capsized off Yemen
CAIRO -- A boat capsized Sunday in waters off Yemen's coast leaving 68 African migrants dead and 74 others missing, the U.N.'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, 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. 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.
Roya News
6 days ago
- General
- Roya News
At least 68 dead after migrant boat capsizes off Yemen's coast
At least 68 migrants have died and many remain missing after a boat carrying approximately 157 people capsized off Yemen's southern coast on Sunday, in what is being described as one of the deadliest recent maritime tragedies in the region. The vessel overturned near the province of Abyan during rough weather. According to Abdusattor Esoev, the Yemen chief for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), only 12 people have been rescued so far. 'The fate of the missing is still unknown,' he told the BBC. Most of those on board are believed to be Ethiopian nationals, attempting the dangerous journey from the Horn of Africa to Gulf countries in search of work and stability. The IOM called the incident 'heartbreaking' and said it is another grim reminder of the risks migrants face when using irregular routes often controlled by smugglers. The bodies of 54 migrants were discovered along the shores of Khanfar district, while 14 others were taken to a morgue in Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, according to reports from the Associated Press (AP). The Abyan security directorate confirmed an extensive search and recovery operation is ongoing along a wide stretch of coastline. 'This heartbreaking incident underscores the urgent need for enhanced protection mechanisms for migrants undertaking perilous journeys, often facilitated by unscrupulous smugglers who exploit desperation and vulnerability,' said an IOM spokesperson. Esoev also reiterated the organization's call for stronger legal migration frameworks. 'What we are advocating for all member states… is to enhance their regular pathways so people can take legal ways in order to migrate, instead of being trapped or deceived by smugglers and taking those dangerous journeys,' he said. Despite ongoing instability and conflict, Yemen remains a major transit point for migrants heading toward Saudi Arabia. The journey across the Gulf of Aden is considered one of the busiest and most hazardous migration routes in the world. In March, two other boats carrying over 180 migrants sank off Yemen's Dhubab district, with almost all passengers presumed dead. The IOM has also warned that smugglers are increasingly launching boats in unsafe conditions to evade patrols, further endangering lives. More than 60,000 migrants have arrived in Yemen so far in 2024, many unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Over the last decade, the IOM's Missing Migrants Project has recorded more than 3,400 deaths and disappearances along this route, with 1,400 of them attributed to drowning.
