Two dead, 186 missing after four boats sink off Yemen and Djibouti: UN

A report from the UN migration agency indicates that four boats carrying African migrants capsized in the waters near Yemen and Djibouti, resulting in at least two deaths and 186 missing persons. An International Organization for Migration (IOM) spokesperson stated on Friday that two of the boats capsized near Yemen late Thursday. These incidents highlight the ongoing dangers faced by migrants attempting to cross these waters.

IOM spokesperson, Tamin Elyan, reported that two crew members were rescued, but 181 migrants and five Yemeni crew members remain missing. The IOM's head of mission in Yemen stated that most of those on board are believed to be Ethiopian migrants, with five identified as Yemeni crew. At least 57 people from these two boats were women, further emphasizing the vulnerability of the migrants involved.

"We are cooperating with the authorities to do our best to search for survivors, but I'm afraid there is little hope," Abdusattor Esoev told Agence France-Presse. Elyan also stated that two other boats capsized around the same time in the waters near Djibouti, a small African nation. Two bodies of migrants have been recovered, and all other individuals have been rescued, offering a small glimmer of hope amidst the tragedy.

Despite nearly a decade of civil war, Yemen remains a major transit point for migrants and refugees from East Africa and the Horn of Africa seeking work in Gulf countries. Thousands attempt the crossing each year. To reach Yemen, people are transported by smugglers in often dangerous and overcrowded boats across the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden, risking their lives for the prospect of a better future.

The number of arrivals in Yemen reached 97,200 in 2023, triple the number in 2021. However, according to a report released this month by the IOM, that number fell to just under 61,000 last year due to increased patrols in the waters. The IOM states that 558 people have died on this route in 2024 alone. In January, 20 Ethiopians died in a boat capsizing off the coast of Yemen. Over the past decade, at least 2,082 people have gone missing on this route, including 693 known to have drowned, and approximately 380,000 migrants are currently stranded in Yemen, facing dire conditions and uncertain futures.