In a tragic incident off the coast of Yemen, at least 49 migrants have died and 140 others are missing after a boat carrying about 260 migrants capsized. This disaster was reported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on June 11, following the wreck near Alghareef Point in Shabwah governorate on June 10.
The ill-fated vessel, which departed from Bosaso in Somalia at approximately 3 a.m. on Sunday, was carrying 115 Somali nationals and 145 Ethiopians, including 90 women. Among the deceased are 31 women and six children, highlighting the devastating human cost of this tragedy.
Survivors of the wreck have recounted their harrowing experiences. Of the 71 survivors, eight required urgent medical attention and were transported to a hospital, while the remaining 63 received first aid and minor treatment on site. Despite these efforts, the search for the missing continues under challenging conditions due to a shortage of operational patrol boats, as stated by IOM.
Local community members, particularly fishermen, have been instrumental in recovery operations, aiding in the retrieval of bodies and assisting in burial efforts at a nearby cemetery. However, with 140 people still unaccounted for, ongoing efforts are being made to enhance search and rescue operations as more bodies continue to wash ashore.
This shipwreck is part of a larger, tragic pattern along this perilous migration route. Since 2014, the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has documented 1,860 deaths and disappearances in this corridor, one of the world’s most hazardous migration paths. The recent incident follows two deadly shipwrecks along the coast of Djibouti in April, underscoring the persistent dangers faced by migrants in the region.
In 2023 alone, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) recorded over 97,200 migrant arrivals in Yemen, a significant increase from the previous year, which saw just over 73,000 arrivals. These figures reflect the growing scale of migration and the urgent need for enhanced safety measures and humanitarian support along these routes.