Thirteen people have tragically lost their lives and 14 others remain missing after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Yemen’s Ta’iz governorate, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said in a statement seen by APA on Tuesday.
The vessel, which departed from Djibouti carrying 25 Ethiopian migrants along with two Yemeni nationals, sank near the Dubab district in Bani Al-Hakam sub-district, according to field reports from the IOM.
Among the deceased are 11 men and two women. Their bodies were recovered along the shores of Bab-al Mandab near Al-Shura in the Dubab district.
“Search operations are ongoing in hopes of locating the remaining missing migrants and the Yemeni captain and his assistant. Despite exhaustive efforts, the cause of the shipwreck remains unclear at this stage,” the report said.
“This latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the perils faced by migrants on this route,” said Matt Huber, Acting Chief of Mission for IOM in Yemen.
“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 said.
Despite repeated warnings and ongoing interventions, the waters off Yemen continue to claim lives at an alarming rate.
The boat tragedy in Dubab, following similar tragic shipwrecks in both June and July, 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 opportunities in the Gulf countries.
The report said the migration route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen remains one of the most perilous in the world, with thousands of migrants crossing each year despite the ongoing conflict and deteriorating conditions in Yemen.
