At least 68 migrants from the Horn of Africa, mostly from Ethiopia, died in a boat wreck off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, BBC reported, citing the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The incident occurred on 3 August. The boat was carrying 157 people. Sixty-eight died, 12 were rescued, and the rest are missing. According to Yemeni security officials, the bodies were found along the country’s southern coast.
As noted by IOM Head of Mission in Yemen, Abdusattor Esoev, the vessel was following a route commonly used by smugglers, which poses significant risks to migrants. He called for improved legal protection for migrants to prevent human trafficking.
“What we are advocating for all member states… is to enhance their regular pathways so people can take legal ways in order to migrate, instead of being trapped or deceived by smugglers and taking those dangerous journeys,” he said.
The route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen is one of the most common migration corridors in Africa. In 2024, over 60,000 migrants were registered in Yemen by the IOM. Since 2014, the organisation’s Missing Migrants Project has documented 3,435 deaths and disappearances along this route, including 1,416 by drowning.
In June 2025, the IOM and the authorities of Djibouti conducted an operation to search for missing migrants off the coast of the African country.
