Migrants Face Tragic Loss: At Least 54 Perish When Boat Sinks Near Yemen Shore, report Medics
In the waters off Yemen's coast, another tragic incident has unfolded. Over the weekend, a boat carrying approximately 150 people, mostly from Ethiopia, capsized in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Shaqra, in the Abyan Governorate.
The sinking occurred due to bad weather and strong winds, leaving at least 54 migrants dead and 12 survivors transferred to Shaqra Hospital. Search operations for the missing are ongoing amid difficult conditions.
This incident is not an isolated event. Irregular migration via Yemen, particularly from Ethiopia, continues despite ongoing war and ethnic conflict in Ethiopia. The Bab al-Mandab Strait, a significant location for both international trade and migration, serves as a transit point for these dangerous journeys.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a key strategic waterway for global commerce due to its proximity to the Suez Canal. However, it also remains a major route for migration and human trafficking.
The deaths of migrants in Yemen are primarily caused by perilous sea voyages, exploitation, hunger, thirst, and ongoing conflict-related violence. In 2025 alone, there have been numerous tragic incidents involving irregular migrants, mostly from Ethiopia and other Horn of Africa countries, attempting to reach Yemen by boat with hopes of moving onward to Gulf countries.
Since the start of 2025, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded more than 350 migrant deaths and disappearances along the Eastern Route (Somalia-Ethiopia to Yemen), though actual figures are likely higher. More than 60,000 irregular migrants have arrived in Yemen so far this year.
The ongoing conflict in Yemen exacerbates the vulnerability of migrants caught in conflict zones. Military operations have caused direct civilian casualties, including in migrant detention centers. For instance, an airstrike in April 2025 killed at least 68 African migrants in Sa'dah.
Migrants undertake these dangerous journeys due to conflict, economic instability, and lack of legal migration channels in their home countries, such as Ethiopia and Somalia. Yemen serves as a transit point, but the journeys through the Gulf of Aden and southern Yemen are highly perilous.
The continuing conflict and harsh humanitarian conditions increase migrants' risks of death, exploitation, and disappearance. Migrants in Yemen suffer abuse and exploitation during their journeys. The UN's International Organisation for Migration reports that tens of thousands of migrants have become stranded in Yemen.
Significant populations of foreign workers from South Asia and Africa reside in the wealthy Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Despite the risks, the hope of better opportunities continues to drive migrants to embark on these dangerous journeys.
[1] UN News, "Record number of migrants dying on Mediterranean Sea route, UN warns," 2025. [2] BBC News, "Yemen migrant crisis: Hundreds dead and thousands stranded," 2025. [3] Human Rights Watch, "Yemen: Migrants Facing Abuse, Exploitation," 2025. [4] Associated Press, "At least 92 migrants dead in Yemen boat disaster," 2025.
- Weather conditions and ongoing conflict in Yemen contribute to a high risk of death and exploitation for migrants attempting treacherous sea journeys, as evidenced by the recent sinking of a boat off Shaqra, Abyan Governorate, which left over 50 dead and dozens missing.
- In the realm of general news, the unfolding tragedy of migrants in Yemen underscores the interconnectedness of health, politics, crime-and-justice, and international affairs, as moral and legal accountability for migrant deaths remains questionable amidst economic motivations and global commerce, particularly through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
