A humanitarian tragedy unfolded early Sunday in the Gulf of Aden, as a boat carrying 154 Ethiopian migrants capsized off the coast of Yemen, leaving at least 142 people feared dead, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Only 12 survivors were rescued from the disaster, which marks one of the deadliest migrant shipwrecks in the region’s recent history. Abdusattor Esoev, the IOM’s Chief of Mission in Yemen, confirmed the grim toll, stating that recovery efforts are ongoing. At least 68 bodies have been retrieved so far, many of them washing ashore on the beaches near Khanfa in western Yemen.
Local authorities, including the Abyan security directorate, have launched a large-scale search-and-rescue operation, combing the coastline and surrounding waters for any additional survivors or bodies. In a public statement, officials described the efforts as “massive,” reflecting the scale of the catastrophe and the urgency of the mission.
The Dangerous Journey: Ethiopia to the Gulf
Each year, tens of thousands of migrants—primarily young Ethiopians—embark on perilous journeys from the Horn of Africa across the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden, passing through Yemen with hopes of reaching wealthier Gulf nations in search of work and economic opportunity. This migration corridor, known as the Eastern Route, is the most frequently traveled African migration path. However, it is also widely regarded as the most dangerous.
According to the Mixed Migration Centre, migrants on this route regularly face severe risks including drowning, physical abuse, sexual violence, and exploitation by smugglers and traffickers. Many are lured by false promises or compelled by desperation, only to find themselves in life-threatening situations at sea or in Yemen’s volatile terrain.
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