At Least 68 Dead in Migrant Shipwreck off Yemen Coast

A shipwreck off the coast of Yemen has claimed at least 68 lives, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Monday, confirming earlier figures from security sources.

“As of last night, 68 people aboard the vessel were confirmed dead, while only 12 out of 157 passengers have been rescued. The fate of the remaining missing individuals remains unknown,” said Abdusattor Esoev, IOM’s country chief of mission.

A local police source stated the boat was heading towards Yemen’s Abyan province, where smuggler boats frequently arrive.

The security directorate of Abyan province announced a large-scale operation to recover the bodies of numerous Ethiopian migrants, mainly from the Oromo community, who drowned while attempting to enter Yemeni territory illegally.

Many bodies have washed ashore across different beaches, indicating that several victims are still missing at sea.

Despite Yemen’s ongoing war since 2014, irregular migration continues through the impoverished country, especially from Ethiopia, which is itself experiencing ethnic conflicts.

Migrants often cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical maritime passage separating Djibouti and Yemen, which serves as a major route for international trade and human trafficking.

Wealthy Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates host large numbers of foreign workers from South Asia and Africa.

According to the IOM, tens of thousands of migrants remain stranded in Yemen, where they frequently face abuse and exploitation during their journeys.