At least 13 people killed, 14 others missing after boat sinks off Yemen: IOM

At least 13 people have died and 14 others are missing after a boat sank off the coast of Yemen, Al Jazeera reported, citing the United Nations migration agency.

In a statement on Sunday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said, “A migrant boat capsized off the coast of Yemen’s Taiz governorate on Tuesday.”

It further said that the boat, which departed from Djibouti with 25 Ethiopians and two Yemeni nations, sank near Dubab district in Bani al-Hakam subdistrict in Yemen, Al Jazeera reported.

The IOM said 11 men and two women were among those confirmed dead as a search operation is being conducted to locate the missing, including the Yemeni captain and his assistant. It stated that the cause of the capsizing of the ship remains unclear.

https://x.com/IOM_Yemen/status/1827599127074480274

The acting chief of IOM’s mission in Yemen stated, “This latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the perils faced by migrants on this route.”

“Every life lost in these dangerous waters is one too many, and it is imperative that we do not normalise these devastating losses and instead work collectively to ensure that migrants are protected and supported throughout their journeys,” Huber added.

The IOM said that the boat capsize incident on Tuesday follows similar shipwrecks in June and July.
The UN agency said, “[It] is yet another devastating reminder of the extreme dangers of this migration route and the reliance on smuggling networks. Vulnerable migrants are often pushed into perilous conditions by smugglers as they attempt to flee desperate circumstances in search of safety and opportunity in the Gulf states.”

Tens of thousands of refugees and migrants set off yearly from the Horn of Africa to escape conflict, natural disasters or poor economic prospects and travel across the Red Sea to reach the Gulf, Al Jazeera reported.

In 2023, the IOM recorded over 97,200 arrivals in Yemen in 2023, surpassing the previous year’s numbers. People who are unable to reach Yemen often face such threats to their safety, as the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country has been mired in civil war for nearly 10 years. Many people are attempting to reach Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations for employment as labourers or domestic workers. (ANI)