49 Migrants Die in Boat Sinking Off Yemen’s Coast

NYN | News

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, announced on Tuesday that the death toll from a migrant boat sinking off the coast of Yemen has risen to 49, with 140 still missing.

In a statement posted on the X platform, the organization stated that at least 49 migrants have died, while 140 others remain missing after a boat carrying 260 migrants capsized on Monday near Al-Ghrifa in Yemen’s Shabwa province.

The statement noted that among the victims of this tragic incident were 31 women and 6 children.

Survivors reported that the boat was carrying 115 Somali and 145 Ethiopian nationals, and it had departed from the Somali city of Bosaso on Sunday morning. No further details were provided.

An earlier death toll announced by the organization indicated that 39 migrants had died and 150 were missing.

Yemen is a transit point for migrants from the Horn of Africa, particularly from Ethiopia and Somalia, with most aiming to move on to Gulf countries.

A recent UN report predicted that Yemen would receive more than 44,000 Somali refugees this year.

According to the United Nations, 97,000 migrants arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa last year.

The IOM noted that despite a decade of conflict in Yemen and recent tensions in the Red Sea, the country continues to see a significant increase in irregular migrant flows from Africa to Yemen this year.

Source: Anadolu Agency