Boat Capsizes Off Yemen Coast, Dozens Dead and Missing

Cairo, Aug 5 (AP) - A tragic incident unfolded over the weekend as a boat carrying African migrants capsized off Yemen's war-torn coast, resulting in the deaths of 56 individuals and leaving 132 missing, according to the UN immigration agency on Tuesday, which revised earlier reported figures.

This event marks the latest in a series of maritime disasters off the Yemeni coast, where hundreds have perished while attempting to reach the affluent Arab Gulf nations in search of a better future.

The ill-fated vessel, carrying 200 passengers, sank early Sunday near the coastal town of Shuqrah in Yemen's southern province of Abyan, stated the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in a press release. Authorities have recovered 56 bodies, including 14 women, and rescued 12 men as of Tuesday morning, the agency reported.

Efforts to locate the missing individuals are ongoing, according to Abyan security directorate late Monday. Among those found deceased was the boat captain, a Yemeni citizen, his body recovered alongside 14 others off Zinjibar, the provincial capital.

"This heartbreaking incident underscores the urgent need to address the perils associated with irregular migration along the Eastern Route," the IOM emphasized.

Initially, Abdusattor Esoev, Yemen's IOM chief, reported on Sunday that the boat was carrying 154 Ethiopian migrants, with 68 lost and 74 missing.

In Tuesday's update, the IOM noted that over 350 migrants have died or remain missing in shipwrecks along the Eastern Route this year. They fear the actual numbers may be significantly higher.

Yemen, embroiled in a civil war for over a decade, has been a critical transit point for African migrants escaping conflict and poverty. Smugglers often transport them in precariously crowded and unsafe boats across the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden.

Despite its status as one of the poorest Arab countries, Yemen continues to see tens of thousands of migrant arrivals annually. Over 60,000 migrants are estimated to have arrived in 2024 alone, as per IOM data. (AP)

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