In a tragic incident, a boat carrying over 200 migrants sank off the coast of Yemen, resulting in at least 39 fatalities. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the boat, which sank on Monday, had 260 people on board. Among them, 39 have been confirmed dead, 150 are missing, and 71 survivors have been rescued. The nationalities of the migrants have not been disclosed.
Each year, tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa embark on the perilous journey across the Red Sea, hoping to reach the oil-rich Gulf states. They flee from conflict, natural disasters, and poor economic conditions. However, many do not survive the dangerous passage. Earlier this year, two boats sank off the coast of Djibouti within two weeks, resulting in dozens of deaths.
The IOM has documented a significant number of deaths on this migration route, with at least 1,350 fatalities recorded since 2014, excluding the recent incident. In 2023 alone, the organization reported at least 698 deaths, including 105 at sea. Despite these dangers, the number of migrants arriving in Yemen has tripled from 2021 to 2023, increasing from approximately 27,000 to over 90,000.
Survivors of the recent sinking are receiving immediate aid from the IOM. However, those who successfully reach Yemen face further risks. Yemen, embroiled in a civil war for a decade, poses severe threats to migrant safety. Many migrants aim to reach Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries for work, but the journey remains fraught with danger.
Human Rights Watch recently accused Saudi border guards of killing “at least hundreds” of Ethiopian migrants attempting to cross into the kingdom from Yemen. The accusations include the use of explosive weapons. Despite Riyadh dismissing these claims as unfounded, reports of violence against migrants continue. The Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) noted that hospitals in Yemen still receive migrants injured in border attacks, and killings persist.
The MMC emphasized the difficulty in obtaining comprehensive data on migrant deaths, making it challenging to determine the extent of the killings. However, even with possible instructions from Saudi authorities to reduce or stop the violence, the killing of Ethiopian migrants by Saudi security officials reportedly continues.