186 missing as migrant boats capsize off Yemen and Djibouti

SMA NEWS – GENEVA
The UN says four boats carrying African migrants capsized off Yemen and Djibouti, leaving two dead and 186 missing.
The United Nations migration agency reports that four boats carrying migrants from Africa capsized off the coasts of Yemen and Djibouti, leaving at least two dead and 186 missing.

The International Organization for Migration – IOM – said that two of the boats sank late Thursday in Yemeni waters.

Among those onboard, 181 migrants and five Yemeni crew members remain unaccounted for.

Two of the crew members were plucked from the sea, and survivors have described the harrowing conditions aboard the overcrowded, rickety vessels.

According to the IOM, the passengers were primarily Ethiopian migrants, including 57 women, attempting the dangerous crossing in hopes of reaching Gulf countries.

Around the same time, two additional boats capsized off Djibouti’s coast. Rescuers recovered two bodies, while all other passengers aboard these vessels were saved.

Local officials attributed the accidents to strong winds in the area, which likely destabilized the small, overloaded boats.

The IOM has highlighted the perilous nature of migration routes across the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

These waters serve as a transit path for thousands of migrants every year, especially those from the Horn of Africa seeking work opportunities in wealthier Gulf states.

However, the journeys are often fraught with danger due to unseaworthy vessels, overcrowding, and adverse weather conditions.

Migrants are also frequently subjected to exploitation by smugglers who prioritize profits over safety, leaving many vulnerable to injury or death.

The search for the missing individuals continues, though hopes of finding additional survivors are fading.