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A boat full of migrants sank on Sunday, August 3, 2025, off the coast of Yemen’s Abyan province. There were 154 people on board, of which at least 68 died and 74 are still missing. According to local officials, all the migrants on the boat were from Ethiopia, who had set out via Yemen in search of employment in Saudi Arabia. The boat capsized in the Gulf of Aden early Sunday. Only 10 people have been rescued so far after the accident, including nine Ethiopians and one Yemeni citizen.
Local media reports and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have described the incident as one of the worst tragedies in recent years. Rescue workers are constantly searching for bodies and possible survivors. The question is being raised again and again that why do people from Africa choose the path of a conflict-torn country like Yemen? The answer is not only economic but also social and political.
Countries struggling with poverty and unemployment
In countries like Ethiopia and Somalia, poverty, unemployment and instability force people to take risky sea journeys. Yemen, even though itself is struggling with civil war, remains a route for migrants to reach the Gulf countries. According to the International Organization for Migration, so far in 2024, more than 60,000 migrants have traveled through Yemen, while in 2023 this number was 97,200. This decline is mainly due to increased security patrols on sea routes.
Safety of migrants
The figures of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are very shocking. In 2023, 558 people died on this route and in the last ten years more than 2,082 migrants have gone missing. In these figures, 693 deaths have been confirmed due to drowning. These figures are not just numbers, but the stories of thousands of families who wander from door to door in search of their loved ones. Migrants not only have to face the waves of the sea, but after reaching Yemen, they have to live in detention, abuse and inhuman conditions. The IOM had already warned that the route through Yemen is one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world. Despite this, migrants continue to choose this route despite the risk.
Humanitarian crisis and political background in Yemen
Yemen has been in the grip of civil war since 2014. The war between Houthi rebels and the internationally recognized government of Yemen has brought the country to the brink of ruin. Although a ceasefire agreement was reached in April 2022, which reduced the violence somewhat, the country is still socially, economically and politically unstable. According to a UN report, there are currently about 380,000 migrants and refugees in Yemen. Many of these are looking for safety, while some are using Yemen to reach Gulf countries.
