At least 68 migrants die after vessel sinks off Yemen coast amid rough weather

At least 68 migrants have died after a vessel carrying about 157 people sank off the coast of Yemen due to severe weather conditions.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported that the boat capsized on Sunday off the southern province of Abyan, leaving many missing. However, several people were rescued shortly after the incident.

According to the IOM, most of the victims were Ethiopian nationals. They are believed to have been using the Yemen route as a transit point from the Horn of Africa to Gulf countries in search of employment.

The IOM estimated that hundreds of migrants have died or gone missing in similar shipwrecks in recent months. Abyan security officials confirmed that a large search-and-rescue mission had been launched, and many bodies have been recovered across a wide stretch of the shoreline.

Read: Children among 34 dead after tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam

IOM Yemen chief Abdusattor Esoev stated that the boat was travelling along a dangerous route frequently used by people smugglers.

He stressed the need for stronger legal protections for migrants to prevent them from falling prey to exploitation.

"What we are advocating for all member states… is to enhance their regular pathways so people can take legal ways to migrate, instead of being trapped or deceived by smugglers and taking those dangerous journeys," said Mr. Esoev.

The IOM has previously described the migration route from the Horn of Africa, which includes Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, to Yemen as "one of the busiest and most perilous mixed migration routes" in the world.

In March, two boats carrying more than 180 migrants sank off the coast of Yemen’s Dhubab district amid rough seas. Only two crew members were rescued.

Read: Another vessel carrying 65 Pakistanis capsizes off Libya's coast

According to an IOM report, migrants arriving at Migrant Response Points in Yemen have also reported that smugglers are becoming increasingly reckless, often sending boats into dangerous conditions to avoid detection by patrols.

Despite the risks, the journey remains active. Over 60,000 migrants have arrived in Yemen in 2024 alone. Over the past decade, the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has recorded more than 3,400 deaths and disappearances along this route, with at least 1,400 of those caused by drowning.