At least 68 Ethiopian migrants drowned and 74 remain missing after an overcrowded smuggling boat capsized off Yemen’s southern coast, underscoring the persistent risks of one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors.

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A boat carrying 154 Ethiopian nationals capsized near the coast of Abyan province, Yemen, resulting in the deaths of at least 68 people, according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM). Twelve survivors were rescued, while 74 remain unaccounted for.

Abdusattor Esoev, head of IOM in Yemen, confirmed that the bodies of 54 victims were recovered in Khanfar district, and 14 more were later found and transferred to a hospital morgue. Local authorities had earlier reported the same overall death toll.

Abdul Qader Bajamil, director of the health office in Zanzibar, stated that preparations are underway to bury the deceased near the city of Shaqra. Recovery operations are continuing despite difficult conditions.

The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden remain high-traffic but extremely dangerous maritime routes for migrants and refugees traveling between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Many of those making the journey are fleeing conflict or poverty in countries such as Ethiopia and Somalia, either seeking refuge in Yemen or attempting to transit toward wealthier Gulf states.

Yemen’s fragile conditions have not deterred migration through its territory. Although a 2022 truce between Houthi rebels and government forces reduced violence and eased parts of the humanitarian crisis, the country remains unstable. Despite this, it continues to host some 380,000 refugees and migrants.

According to IOM data, over 60,000 migrants arrived in Yemen during 2024—a drop from the 97,200 recorded the previous year. The journey, however, remains lethal. In 2023 alone, 558 people died along this maritime route. Over the past decade, at least 2,082 individuals have disappeared while attempting the crossing, including 693 who are confirmed to have drowned.

The IOM describes this as one of the “busiest and most perilous” migration routes globally, routinely used by smugglers operating overcrowded and unsafe boats.

As bodies continue to wash ashore and rescue efforts persist off Yemen’s southern coast, the tragedy once again exposes the human cost of unsafe migration routes and the absence of safe alternatives for displaced populations across the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

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