More than 60 migrants died when a boat carrying around 150 people sank off the coast of Yemen on Sunday due to bad weather.
The vessel capsized near the southern Yemeni province of Abyan, and 68 bodies were found, BBC reported, citing the head of Yemen’s branch of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). He noted that 12 people were rescued, and dozens are still considered missing.
Most of the victims are believed to be Ethiopian nationals, the IOM said, describing the incident as “heartbreaking.”
Yemen remains a main route for migrants from the Horn of Africa traveling to the Arab Gulf countries in search of work. The IOM estimates that hundreds of people have died or gone missing in recent months due to shipwrecks.
IOM head in Yemen, Abdussattor Esoyev, said the boat was carrying about 157 migrants along a dangerous route in a large coastal area frequently used by human smugglers.
Yemen is a popular transit country for many desperate migrants heading north to Saudi Arabia seeking better opportunities.
Fifty-four bodies were found on the shore in the southern Khanfar district, and another 14 were taken to the hospital morgue in Abyan’s provincial capital, Zinjibar, according to Associated Press.
Abyan’s security authorities issued a statement about a large-scale search and rescue operation, reporting that many bodies were found along a wide stretch of the coastline, AP says.
An IOM spokesperson said the agency is “deeply saddened” by the tragic loss of life.
“This moving incident underscores the urgent need for enhanced migrant protection mechanisms for those undertaking dangerous journeys, often facilitated by unscrupulous smugglers who exploit desperation and vulnerability,” they said.
Mr. Esoyev also stressed the importance of strengthening legal safeguards for migrants to prevent their exploitation by smugglers.
“We call on all member states to improve regular migration pathways so that people can access legal migration options instead of falling prey to smugglers and undertaking these dangerous journeys,” he said.
Earlier, the IOM described the route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen as “one of the busiest and most dangerous mixed migration routes.”
In March, two boats carrying over 180 migrants sank off the coast of Yemen’s Dubab district due to rough seas. Only two crew members were rescued, while all remaining passengers went missing and are presumed dead.
According to the IOM report, migrants arriving at response points in Yemen report that smugglers are becoming increasingly reckless, deliberately sending boats into dangerous conditions to avoid patrols.
Despite the risks, many migrants continue to make this journey — over 60,000 people arrived in Yemen in 2024 alone.
Over the past decade, the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has recorded over 3,400 deaths and disappearances along the route, with 1,400 cases resulting from drowning.