Yemen Shipwreck Claims Lives of 76 Ethiopian Migrants, Dozens Still Missing

A tragic maritime disaster has left at least 76 Ethiopian migrants dead and dozens missing after a boat carrying them sank off the coast of Yemen, marking one of the deadliest incidents on the perilous migration route in the region. According to reports from local officials and the United Nations, the vessel was heading toward Abyan governorate in southern Yemen, a common transit point for migrants seeking to reach the wealthy Gulf states.

Yemeni security officials confirmed that 76 bodies had been recovered, and 32 survivors were rescued from the Gulf of Aden, where the incident occurred. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported that 157 people were initially on board the vessel, with the fate of the remaining 49 still unknown.

Abdusattor Esoev, the IOM’s chief of mission in Yemen, described the tragedy as “one of the deadliest” migrant shipwrecks off Yemen this year. The boat, which was mostly carrying Ethiopian migrants, was reportedly en route to Abyan, a region frequently used by smugglers to transport migrants from Africa toward the Gulf.

Some of the survivors have been transferred to Aden, a city near Abyan, according to a security official. The IOM had previously reported a toll of at least 68 dead, but the latest figures indicate a higher number of fatalities.

Despite the ongoing civil war that has ravaged Yemen since 2014, the country remains a crucial transit point for irregular migration, particularly from Ethiopia, which has been embroiled in its own ethnic conflicts. The Pope expressed deep sadness over the tragedy, calling it a “devastating loss of life.”

Every year, thousands of migrants brave the so-called “Eastern Route” from Djibouti to Yemen across the Red Sea, hoping to eventually reach the oil-rich Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Last year alone, the IOM recorded over 558 deaths on the Red Sea route, with 462 of those resulting 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,” said Ayla Bonfiglio from the Mixed Migration Centre. “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.”

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 near Abyan was carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants, according to both the Abyan security directorate and an IOM source.

Yemeni security forces have been recovering a “significant” number of bodies from the wreck. The Bab al-Mandab Strait, the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Red Sea, serves as a major route for both international trade and migration, making it a high-risk area for migrants.

Once in Yemen, many migrants face additional dangers. The IOM reports that tens of thousands of migrants are stranded in the country, often subjected to abuse and exploitation during their journeys. In April, more than 60 people were killed in a U.S.-blamed airstrike that hit a migrant detention center in Yemen, according to Houthi rebels.

The Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, host large populations of foreign workers from South Asia and Africa, many of whom are part of the same migration networks that facilitate these dangerous journeys.