International Migration: 16 Ethiopian migrants dead or missing after a boat capsizes off the coast of Taiz.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has confirmed the death of 12 Ethiopian migrants and the disappearance of four others in a drowning incident that occurred last Wednesday off the coast of Taiz, in southwestern Yemen.

In a press release issued by the IOM’s Regional Office for East Africa and the Horn of Africa on Friday, it was reported that the boat, carrying 20 Ethiopian migrants, most of whom were from the Tigray region, had departed Djibouti on Tuesday evening en route to Yemen. The vessel capsized early Wednesday in the Red Sea near the Dhobab district in Taiz Province due to strong winds and an engine failure.

According to survivors, out of the 22 passengers on board, only six survived, including the Yemeni boat captain and his assistant. The bodies of a man and a woman were recovered and subsequently buried by local authorities.

Matt Huber, the Acting Head of the IOM Mission in Yemen, emphasized that “this recent incident underscores the urgent need to enhance safety measures and collaborative efforts to protect migrants.” He added, “The disturbing increase in shipwrecks and migrant deaths serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by those fleeing desperate circumstances.”

The IOM’s Missing Migrants Project data indicates that the eastern migration route linking the Horn of Africa to Saudi Arabia via Yemen has witnessed 2,107 cases of migrant deaths and disappearances, including 718 deaths due to drowning, since 2014.

To follow the news in Arabic