At least 68 African migrants died and 74 remain missing after a crowded boat capsized off the southern coast of Yemen early Sunday (August 3, 2025), the United Nations’ migration agency confirmed, marking one of the deadliest maritime tragedies in the region this year.
The vessel, carrying 154 Ethiopian migrants, sank in the Gulf of Aden near the province of Abyan, according to Abdusattor Esoev, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Yemen. Only 12 survivors were rescued from the wreckage.
The bodies of 54 migrants were discovered along the shores of Khanfar district, while another 14 were recovered and transferred to a hospital morgue in Zinjibar, the provincial capital.
This latest tragedy underscores the growing peril faced by thousands of East African migrants, many of whom risk their lives on treacherous sea routes in pursuit of better opportunities in Gulf nations. Yemen, itself grappling with a prolonged conflict and humanitarian crisis, has become a key transit point for these desperate journeys.
The IOM and international rights groups have repeatedly raised alarms about the dire conditions and exploitative networks that prey on vulnerable migrants fleeing poverty, political instability, and conflict in the Horn of Africa.
While thousands make it across each year, many perish at sea, often in unseaworthy vessels operated by human smugglers.
“This is a stark reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive regional responses that prioritize migrant safety, strengthen legal migration pathways, and tackle the root causes of displacement,” Esoev said.
Meanwhile, critics point to glaring inequalities between those fleeing poverty and instability and the political elites in their countries of origin. “Poverty remains rampant back home, yet those in power and their inner circles live lavishly, spending fortunes in places like London and Paris, far removed from the suffering of their people,” said one regional analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The IOM has called for increased international support to bolster humanitarian efforts in Yemen and across migration corridors in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
