Sanaa: A vessel carrying African migrants sank off the coast of Yemen, killing dozens, the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday. The tragic incident highlights the ongoing peril faced by migrants seeking better opportunities in wealthier nations despite the inherent dangers of their journey.
According to Deutsche Welle, sixty-eight of the approximately 154 migrants on board perished when the boat capsized early on Sunday. The Associated Press news agency, citing the IOM, reported that 74 individuals are still missing, underscoring the scale of the tragedy.
Yemen remains a popular transit point for Ethiopian migrants despite a decade-long civil war, as they attempt to reach prosperous Arab countries like Saudi Arabia. The Ethiopian community is sizable in Saudi Arabia, with notable diaspora populations in the UAE and Bahrain as well. However, the journey through Yemen is fraught with danger due to ongoing conflicts between the Iran-linked Houthis and the UN-recognized government. A 2020 Human Rights Watch Report revealed that the Houthis had previously killed and expelled Ethiopian migrants during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ethiopia continues to struggle with high poverty levels and the aftermath of internal conflicts, including those involving the Tigray region. An IOM report from March noted that 60,000 migrants traveled to Yemen in 2024, illustrating the persistent flow of migrants despite the risks. The route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen is described by the IOM as "one of the world's busiest and most perilous mixed migration routes."
Besides Ethiopia, the Horn of Africa includes Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and the self-declared independent region of Somaliland. Climate change-driven drought conditions and subsequent food insecurity further compel migrants from the region to seek better lives in Gulf Arab states or Europe.