49 killed, several missing after boat capsizes off the coast of Yemen
Yemen tragedy : In a tragic and dreadful incident, at least 49 dead, several missing from the Horn of Africa after their boat capsized off Yemen's Aden.
Among the victims were six children and 31 women.
Survivors informed rescuers that the vessel, carrying 260 migrants, sank on Monday due to strong winds.
The search is still underway for 140 individuals who remain missing.
The boat departed from Somalia at 03:00 local time (01:00 BST) on Sunday, carrying 115 Somali nationals and 145 Ethiopians, reflecting a recent increase in migration from the Horn of Africa to Yemen.
The director of the Rudum district, Hadi al-Khurma reported that the boat sank before reaching shore. Fishermen and local residents rescued survivors, who reported that more migrants from the same boat were missing.
According to the statement of the spokesman of UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) , “this tragedy underscores the urgent need for cooperative efforts to address migration challenges.”
According to the UN, 97,000 migrants arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa last year, driven by political and economic instability, droughts, and extreme weather events in their home countries.
The number of migrants reaching Yemen annually has surged from around 27,000 in 2021 to over 90,000 in 2023, despite Yemen's ongoing war and recent Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
- With inputs from agencies
