76 Killed, Dozens Missing After Migrant Boat Capsizes Near Yemen In Bad Weather

Last Updated:August 04, 2025, 22:18 IST

This tragedy is the latest in a series of shipwrecks off Yemen, which have killed hundreds of African migrants fleeing conflict and poverty and reaching Gulf countries.

At least 32 people have been rescued from the shipwreck so far. (Photo: X)

At least 76 people were killed in one of the deadliest migrant shipwrecks near Yemen after a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants sank in the Gulf of Aden in bad weather, according to officials. Security officials said 32 people had been rescued and dozens remained missing, with their fates unknown.

Abdusattor Esoev, the UN International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) chief of mission for Yemen, told AFP that the ship was headed to Abyan governorate in southern Yemen, a frequent destination for boats smuggling African migrants hoping to reach the wealthy Gulf states.

The UN migration agency said there were 157 people, of whom 76 had died and 32 had been rescued. Some of those rescued have been transferred to Yemen’s Aden, near Abyan, a security official said.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s secretary of state, said the Pope was “deeply saddened by the devastating loss of life".

Despite the civil war that has ravaged Yemen since 2014, the impoverished country has remained a key transit point for irregular migration, in particular from Ethiopia, which itself has been roiled by ethnic conflict.

A Series Of Deadly Shipwrecks

The perilous “Eastern Route" across the Red Sea has seen a number of shipwrecks as desperate migrants hope to reach oil-rich Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The IOM said at least 558 people died on the Red Sea route last year, with 462 of them in boat accidents.

“This route is predominantly controlled by smugglers and human-trafficking networks… Refugees and migrants have no other alternative but to hire their services," Ayla Bonfiglio, of the Mixed Migration Centre research and policy organisation, told AFP.

“Migrants are well aware of the risks, but with no legal pathways and families relying on remittances from Saudi Arabia or the Emirates, many feel they have no choice," she added.

Last month, at least eight people died after smugglers forced 150 migrants off a boat in the Red Sea, according to the IOM. The vessel that sank off Abyan was carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants, according to the province’s security directorate and an IOM source.

On their way to the Gulf, migrants cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Red Sea that is a major route for international trade, as well as for migration and human trafficking.

Upon reaching Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, migrants frequently encounter additional threats to their safety, as tens and thousands become stranded there and suffer abuse and exploitation.

(with AFP inputs)

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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Yemen

First Published:

August 04, 2025, 22:18 IST

News world 76 Killed, Dozens Missing After Migrant Boat Capsizes Near Yemen In Bad Weather

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