Barran Press
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Sunday, August 25th, that 13 migrants have died and 14 others are missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Taiz Governorate in southwestern Yemen.
According to a statement published on the IOM's official website, the boat departed from Djibouti carrying 25 Ethiopian migrants and Yemeni nationals. The boat sank near the Bani Al-Hakim area in the Zubab district, according to field reports from the IOM.
The IOM confirmed that 11 men and two women were among the deceased. Their bodies were recovered along the shores of Bab al-Mandab in the Zubab district. The organization stated that search and rescue operations are ongoing in hopes of finding the remaining missing migrants, as well as the Yemeni captain and his assistant.
While the cause of the capsizing remains unclear, the IOM emphasized the dangers faced by migrants on this route. "Every life lost in these treacherous waters is one too many," the statement read. "We must not accept these devastating losses as normal, but instead work collectively to ensure the protection and support of migrants throughout their journeys."
The IOM highlighted that the waters off Yemen continue to claim lives at alarming rates. The recent boat capsize in Zubab, following similar tragic incidents in June and July, serves as a stark reminder of the extreme risks associated with this migration route and reliance on smuggling networks. Smugglers often push vulnerable migrants into hazardous conditions as they flee desperate circumstances in search of safety and opportunity in Gulf countries.
The migration route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen remains one of the most dangerous in the world. Thousands of migrants cross it annually despite the ongoing conflict and deteriorating conditions in Yemen.
The IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) recorded over 97,200 migrants arriving in Yemen in 2023, surpassing the previous year's figures. As the conflict intensifies, migrants remain stranded, with limited access to essential services and facing continuous exposure to violence and exploitation.
Since 2014, the IOM's Missing Migrants Project has documented 2,082 deaths and disappearances of migrants on the eastern route, including 693 drowning incidents. Despite these staggering figures, the international response continues to suffer from a severe funding shortage.