Dozens Dead, Scores Missing as Migrant Boat Sinks off Yemen Coast

A boat carrying Ethiopian migrants sank off Yemen’s coast, killing 68 and leaving 74 missing. They were fleeing hardship in search of a better life.

A boat carrying African migrants sank off the coast of Yemen early Sunday morning, resulting in a devastating loss of life. The United Nations' International Organization for Migration reported that around 154 people were on board, all of them Ethiopian nationals. These were men and women chasing hope, many of them young, leaving behind hardship in search of a better life.

Only 12 survived. Sixty eight bodies have been found so far, washed up along the shore of Abyan, a southern region in Yemen. Seventy four others are still missing. Local authorities, together with international aid workers, continue the search, though time and tide are working against them. The grief is overwhelming, and the images are heartbreaking.

These people were not just numbers. They were individuals driven by desperation and dreams. Ethiopia has been struggling with widespread poverty, the aftershocks of war in its Tigray region, and climate related crises. Many who make this journey are seeking work and stability in places like Saudi Arabia, where large Ethiopian communities already exist. The Gulf countries are seen by many as a place of opportunity and escape from a life of struggle.

But the journey is extremely dangerous. Yemen, torn apart by over ten years of conflict, has become a migration corridor filled with risk. Migrants often face violence from armed groups, abuse from smugglers, and the constant threat of being caught between warring forces. Those traveling by sea are packed into unsafe boats with no proper equipment or protection.

Abdusattor Esoev, head of the International Organization for Migration in Yemen, confirmed that 12 migrants survived. He said this tragedy is just one of many along the same route. In 2024 alone, some 60000 migrants have arrived in Yemen, most of them from the Horn of Africa.

The Horn of Africa includes Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and the self declared state of Somaliland. The region is one of the hardest hit by climate change. Drought, food insecurity, and political instability have made life unbearable for many, forcing people to leave everything behind and risk their lives for a future they may never reach.

The route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen is one of the most active and most dangerous in the world. People take the risk because the pain of staying behind often outweighs the fear of what lies ahead. Still, many do not make it.

This tragedy is a stark reminder of the human cost behind migration. Behind each lost life is a story, a dream, a family left waiting for news that will never come. These were not criminals or invaders. They were human beings searching for dignity, safety, and hope.

The world must do more to offer safe and legal paths for migration, to address the root causes that drive people to take such risks, and to recognize the humanity in every person who sets out on a journey to survive.