At least 54 migrants drowned when their overcrowded vessel capsized in stormy weather off Yemen’s Abyan province on Sunday. The boat, carrying approximately 150 people. mostly Ethiopians sank near Shaqra in the Arabian Sea amid strong winds. Rescue teams recovered 54 bodies from nearby beaches, while 12 survivors were hospitalized in critical condition. Dozens remain missing as search operations continue, hampered by rough seas and limited resources.
Nine Ethiopian migrants and one Yemeni crew member were rescued by local fishermen and medical teams, but authorities confirmed "dozens more" are unaccounted for. Abdul Qadir Bajameel, a provincial health official, stated that rescue teams face "difficult conditions," including high waves and inadequate patrol boats. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is coordinating with Yemeni authorities to support recovery efforts and provide medical aid to survivors, though hopes of finding additional survivors are fading.
The migrants had crossed the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a notorious choke point separating Djibouti from Yemen aboard flimsy vessels operated by smugglers. This route, described by the IOM as "one of the world’s busiest and most perilous," sees tens of thousands annually flee political instability, droughts, and conflict in the Horn of Africa. Despite Yemen’s decade-long civil war, over 97,000 migrants arrived in 2023 alone, triple the 2021 figures, aiming to reach Saudi Arabia or the UAE for work. Tragically, more than 1,860 deaths have been recorded along this corridor since 2014, including 480 drownings.
Sunday’s disaster is the latest in a series of similar incidents. In March 2025, four boats capsized off Yemen and Djibouti, leaving 186 missing, while a June capsizing killed 49 people, including 31 women and six children. The IOM attributes the surge in crossings to extreme weather and economic desperation in Ethiopia and Somalia. Spokesperson Mohammedali Abunajela emphasized the "urgent need to address migration challenges," citing shortages of patrol boats and the impact of Yemen’s conflict on rescue capabilities. Burial arrangements for the victims are underway near Shaqra as authorities brace for more bodies to wash ashore.