In brief
At least two individuals are confirmed dead and 186 more are missing following the capsizing of four boats transporting migrants from Africa in the treacherous waters near Yemen and Djibouti, as reported by the United Nations migration agency on Friday.
The disaster occurred late Thursday when two boats capsized off the coast of Yemen. Rescue operations recovered two crew members, yet 181 migrants and five Yemeni crew members remain unaccounted for, detailed Tamim Eleian, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (I.O.M). Concurrently, two other boats sank off Djibouti, though all passengers onboard were saved, albeit the recovery of two deceased individuals.Abdusattor Esoev, the head of the I.O.M. mission in Yemen, indicated that robust winds contributed to the capsizing incident near Djibouti’s shoreline after the vessels departed. The first Yemeni boat, capsized near the Dhubab district of Taiz governorate, had 31 Ethiopian migrants aboard along with three Yemeni crew members. The second vessel, which sank in the same vicinity while heading towards the Ahwar district in Abyan, was carrying a total of 150 Ethiopian migrants and four Yemeni crew.Yemen serves as a key conduit for migrants hailing from East Africa and the Horn of Africa in their quest for employment opportunities in Gulf nations. Each year, hundreds of thousands navigate this perilous route, often facilitated by smugglers who pack them into dangerously overcrowded boats crossing the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden.Recent figures from the I.O.M. indicate a significant rise in migration attempts, with approximately 97,200 individuals making the trek to Yemen in 2023, a substantial increase compared to just 32,600 in 2021. Conversely, the numbers dropped to approximately 61,000 last year, which may correlate with enhanced maritime patrols aimed at curbing irregular migration.Over the last decade, the migration agency has recorded at least 2,082 disappearances along this route, including 693 confirmed fatalities by drowning. Presently, around 380,000 migrants reside in Yemen, facing dire conditions and uncertainty.
