IOM says 7 Ethiopian migrants die during week-long sea voyage to Yemen

ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Seven Ethiopian migrants died from hunger and thirst during a harrowing week-long sea voyage from Somalia to Yemen, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday.

The agency said in a press statement that the boat carrying 250 Ethiopian migrants, including 155 men, 95 women and 82 children, arrived in Yemen's southeastern Shabwah governorate on Tuesday after departing from Bossaso, Somalia.

It said that what was planned as a 24-hour journey stretched into seven days when the vessel's engine failed approximately 100 nautical miles into the voyage, forcing passengers to rely on wind and manual paddling.

IOM's Mobile Medical Team responded immediately upon the boat's arrival, providing survivors with water, food and medical assistance to treat hunger, dehydration and exposure to extreme weather conditions.

Several individuals requiring urgent care were transferred to a nearby medical clinic, where they received treatment and were later discharged in stable condition.

Meanwhile, the death toll from a smuggling boat sinking off the southern coast of Yemen's Abyan governorate has climbed to 92, with search operations ongoing for those still missing, a local health official told Xinhua on Wednesday.

"The death toll has reached 92 so far," said Abdul Qader Bajamil, director of the health office in Abyan. "These were all migrants who drowned while trying to enter the country illegally by sea."

He said the bodies were recovered from multiple coastal areas in Abyan. "We are still searching for more victims who might have been washed away or are trapped underwater," he added.

The tragedy in Abyan unfolded Saturday night when the smuggling boat carrying around 200 African migrants overturned at around 11:00 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) due to strong winds.

IOM officials warned that such tragedies would continue as vulnerable migrants undertake increasingly dangerous journeys along the Eastern Route, which connects the Horn of Africa to Yemen and onward to Gulf states.

Yemen, despite facing its own humanitarian crisis due to ongoing conflict, continues to serve as a transit point for migrants seeking economic opportunities in Gulf countries.■