Over 140 Ethiopian Migrants Feared Dead After Boat Capsizes Off Yemen’s Coast

Report by “Safarti Tarjuman” International News Desk

Gulf of Aden / Abyan, Yemen — More than 140 Ethiopian migrants are believed to have drowned after an overcrowded boat capsized off Yemen’s southern coast, according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM). Only 12 survivors have been rescued from the disaster, which occurred early Sunday in the Gulf of Aden near Abyan province.

The vessel, carrying 154 migrants, sank as it approached the shores of Khanfar district. The IOM confirmed that 68 bodies have been recovered so far—54 washed ashore, while 14 others were transported to a local hospital in Zinjibar, Abyan’s provincial capital. The remaining 74 individuals are missing and presumed dead.

“This is a horrific tragedy. These were people seeking safety and dignity, only to face death in the sea,” said Abdusattor Esoev, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Yemen.

Yemen, despite its decade-long civil conflict, remains a key transit point for migrants from the Horn of Africa, particularly Ethiopia and Somalia, hoping to reach wealthier Gulf states for work. Smugglers often exploit these desperate individuals, cramming them into unsafe, overcrowded vessels to cross the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden.

The Abyan security directorate reported an extensive search and recovery operation, with teams finding bodies scattered across a wide coastal stretch. Local authorities described the scene as “heartbreaking and chaotic.”

“We’ve launched all available rescue resources,” the directorate stated, calling the loss “an immense humanitarian tragedy.”

This latest shipwreck follows a series of fatal maritime incidents in Yemeni waters. In March 2025, 186 migrants went missing and at least two were confirmed dead when four vessels capsized off the coasts of Yemen and Djibouti.

According to IOM, over 60,000 migrants arrived in Yemen in 2024, a decline from 97,200 in 2023—likely due to increased maritime patrols and anti-smuggling operations. However, the demand for unsafe migration persists, fueled by poverty, conflict, and lack of opportunity in East Africa.

Humanitarian agencies are urging regional cooperation to crack down on smuggling networks and provide safer migration pathways. The IOM and other NGOs stress that unless root causes like poverty, unemployment, and insecurity in source countries are addressed, such tragedies will continue.

“We need sustained international efforts to protect migrants and stop these needless deaths,” said Esoev.

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