Boat Capsizes Off Yemen Kills 68, 74 Missing Among Ethiopian Migrants

A smuggling boat carrying 154 Ethiopian migrants capsized off the southern coast of Yemen's Abyan province, resulting in the deaths of 68 migrants and leaving 74 missing, according to the United Nations migration agency and local officials. Rescue operations recovered 68 bodies scattered along the coastline and rescued 12 survivors who were taken to hospitals in critical condition due to exposure and exhaustion. The migrants were attempting to reach Gulf Arab countries for better economic opportunities, despite Yemen's ongoing civil war and severe humanitarian crisis. Yemen remains a major transit point for African migrants from East Africa and the Horn of Africa, who are often transported by smugglers on overcrowded, dangerous boats across the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden. Authorities are conducting extensive search-and-rescue efforts and have called for urgent international intervention to address the root causes of irregular migration and improve maritime safety. Reports indicate that more than 60,000 migrants arrived in Yemen in 2024, a decrease from previous years due to increased maritime patrols, yet the risk to migrants remains high.