At least 68 African migrants have died and 74 others are missing after a boat carrying 154 people capsized in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen’s southern coast, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The tragedy occurred on Sunday, August 3 near the province of Abyan. Abdusattor Esoev, head of the IOM in Yemen, said the vessel was carrying Ethiopian migrants attempting to reach Gulf Arab countries in search of work and better living conditions.
The bodies of 54 migrants were recovered along the shores of Khanfar district, while another 14 were taken to a morgue in Zinjibar, the provincial capital. Only 12 survivors were rescued; the remaining passengers are still unaccounted for and presumed dead.
Authorities launched an extensive search-and-rescue operation. The Abyan security directorate reported that bodies were found scattered across a wide stretch of coastline.
Despite Yemen’s ongoing civil war, the country remains a major transit point for migrants from East Africa and the Horn of Africa. Many pay smugglers to make the perilous journey across the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden aboard overcrowded, unsafe boats.
In recent months, dozens of similar tragedies have occurred. In March, four boats capsized between Yemen and Djibouti, leaving two confirmed dead and 186 missing.
Over 60,000 migrants arrived in Yemen in 2024, a drop from 97,200 in 2023, which the IOM attributes to increased maritime patrols and crackdowns on smuggling routes.