Over a dozen migrants, asylum seekers dead after boat sinks off Yemen coast
Eleven men and two women were among those confirmed dead, as search operations continue to locate the 14 missing migrants and asylum seekers.
At least 13 people have died when a migrant boat sank off Yemen, also leaving 14 missing, a UN agency has said, in the latest disaster on the dangerous migration route.
"Thirteen people have tragically lost their lives and 14 others remain missing after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Yemen's Taez governorate on Tuesday," the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday.
The IOM added that the vessel was carrying 25 Ethiopian and two Yemeni nationals.
The vessel had departed from Djibouti, according to the UN agency.
Eleven men and two women were among those confirmed dead, as search operations continue to locate the missing, including the Yemeni captain and his assistant, the IOM said.
It noted that the cause of the shipwreck remains unclear.
"This latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the perils faced by migrants on this route," said Matt Huber, the acting chief of IOM's mission in Yemen.
Escaping conflict
Thousands of migrants set off yearly from the Horn of Africa, seeking to escape conflict, natural disasters or poor economic prospects and sailing across the Red Sea to reach the oil-rich Gulf.
The IOM recorded over 97,200 migrant arrivals in Yemen in 2023, surpassing the previous year's numbers.
The latest shipwreck follows similar incidents off Yemen in June and July that left dozens dead.
Migrants who do reach Yemen often encounter further threats to their safety, as the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country has been mired in civil war for nearly a decade.
Many are trying to reach Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries where they can find employment as labourers or domestic workers.