Boat Sinking Kills 49 Refugees, 140 Missing En Route to Yemen

Boat Sinking Kills 49 Refugees, 140 Missing En Route to Yemen

Boat Sinking Kills 49 Refugees, 140 Missing En Route to Yemen

Key Highlights:

1. At least 49 dead, 140 missing after boat sinks off the coast of Somalia.
2. Vessel carried 260 refugees and migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia.
3. Incident underscores ongoing migration dangers to Yemen and beyond.

At least 49 people lost their lives and 140 went missing after a boat carrying refugees and migrants from the Horn of Africa to Yemen sank, as reported by Al Jazeera, citing the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM). The vessel, which capsized on Monday, was carrying around 260 people, mostly from Ethiopia and Somalia, who had set off from the northern coast of Somalia aiming to cross 320km (200 miles) across the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen.

The IOM issued a statement on Tuesday, noting that 71 people had been rescued, eight of whom were taken to hospital. Among the deceased were at least six children and 31 women. This tragedy follows another incident in April, where at least 62 people died in two shipwrecks off the coast of Djibouti as they attempted to reach Yemen.

Despite the nearly decade-long war in Yemen, which began when the Houthi group took control of large areas, including the capital, Sanaa, migration from the Horn of Africa remains undeterred. The IOM highlighted that the number of migrants arriving in Yemen has tripled annually from 2021 to 2023, increasing from about 27,000 to more than 90,000. Currently, about 380,000 migrants are in Yemen.

The recent boat sinking incident underscores the dire and dangerous conditions faced by refugees and migrants. IOM spokesperson Mohammedali Abunajela emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to address migration challenges and ensure the safety of migrants along these perilous routes.

For months, the Iran-aligned Houthis have carried out attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Gulf of Aden, demanding an end to Israel’s war on Gaza. In response, the United States and the United Kingdom have conducted air raids on Yemen to protect international interests. Despite these geopolitical tensions, the flow of migrants continues, driven by the hope for a safer and more prosperous future.

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