Migrant Boat Capsizes in Gulf of Aden: 68 Dead, 74 Missing as Bodies Wash Ashore | WPN World People News

Migrant boat disasters continue to occur with alarming frequency. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that a vessel carrying 154 Ethiopian migrants capsized on August 3 in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen’s southern Abyan province. At least 68 people died and 74 are missing. According to reports, 54 bodies were washed ashore in Khanfa district, while another 14 were recovered by rescue teams and transported to Zinjibar Hospital. Only 12 migrants are known to have survived. Authorities have presumed the remaining missing individuals dead.

Abdusattor Esoev, head of the IOM’s mission in Yemen, noted a sharp rise in deaths and disappearances due to multiple recent shipwrecks in Yemeni waters. He warned that smuggling networks have grown increasingly reckless, forcing migrants onto dangerous sea routes using overcrowded and unseaworthy boats to cross the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden. Local security officials also confirmed that numerous bodies were found along a large stretch of coastline, describing the scene as harrowing.

The IOM stated that irregular migration from Africa to Yemen remains significant despite over a decade of civil war in the country. Migrants from East Africa and the Horn of Africa continue to pour into Yemen in hopes of reaching Gulf nations for work opportunities. According to IOM data, more than 60,000 people have arrived in Yemen in 2024—a slight decrease from 2023, likely due to heightened coastal patrols. The organization has called on the international community to strengthen surveillance of illegal migration routes to prevent further loss of innocent lives.