At least 68 African migrants, believed to be predominantly Ethiopian nationals, have died after a vessel carrying approximately 157 people capsized off the coast of Abyan province in southern Yemen on Sunday, amid rough weather conditions. The confirmation came from Abdusattor Esoev, Yemen’s chief of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), who told the BBC that only 12 survivors had been rescued so far. Search and rescue operations are underway, with dozens still unaccounted for.
Security officials in Abyan confirmed that a large-scale recovery mission has retrieved many bodies scattered along a vast stretch of shoreline.
“This is a tragic reminder of the dangers faced by migrants on this perilous route,” said Esoev. “We urge all member states to strengthen legal migration pathways to reduce the need for such dangerous journeys that often end in loss and despair.”
Yemen serves as a key transit route for thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa, particularly Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea, hoping to reach the Gulf States, especially Saudi Arabia, in search of work and a better life.
Despite Yemen being embroiled in a brutal civil war for more than a decade, it remains one of the busiest migration corridors. The IOM has described the route as “one of the most perilous mixed migration paths in the world.”
According to IOM data, more than 60,000 migrants have entered Yemen so far in 2024 alone. But the journey often turns deadly. In just the last few months, hundreds have drowned or gone missing in similar shipwrecks.
In March, two boats sank off Yemen’s Dhubab district, carrying more than 180 migrants. Only the two crew members survived.
Eyewitness reports and IOM findings point to increasing recklessness among human traffickers, who are allegedly pushing boats into dangerous weather conditions to evade patrols and avoid detection by authorities.
“These smugglers exploit desperation,” said Esoev. “They knowingly risk lives, operating in vast unmonitored coastal stretches like Abyan, and send boats out even when conditions are life-threatening.”
The IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has recorded over 3,400 deaths and disappearances on this route in the past decade — 1,400 of which were due to drowning.
Yemen itself is battling a devastating internal conflict. Since 2014, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have controlled much of northern and western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, after ousting the internationally recognized government. The ensuing war has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions displaced and public infrastructure in ruins.
The ongoing conflict has severely hampered rescue operations, access to health services, and the establishment of safe migration mechanisms.
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