In the hope of a better life, migrants from East African countries repeatedly set out on the dangerous sea route to Yemen. Now another boat has crashed.
According to the UN, a boat carrying 45 migrants and refugees capsized off the coast of the civil war-torn country of Yemen. “Only four survivors were found,” the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Yemen said.
The boat is said to have capsized on Thursday night near Tais in the southwest of the country. The cause was said to be strong winds and overloading. The United Nations is working with partners to support the survivors, said the post on the online platform X. There are no further details yet.
Migrants from the East African countries of Ethiopia and Somalia repeatedly set out on the dangerous journey across the strait between the coast of Djibouti and Yemen in the hope of a better life. The civil war-torn country is usually not their actual destination: many plan to continue on to Saudi Arabia or other Gulf states to look for work there.
Tragic boat accident also off Mauritania
On Wednesday, a boat accident was also reported off Mauritania, with at least 15 deaths. Around 300 migrants attempted to cross from Gambia in West Africa and were travelling across the Atlantic for around a week, reported the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Of the approximately 300 people, 120 were rescued. More than 150 are therefore missing.
The route from West Africa to Europe across the Atlantic is particularly dangerous due to the strong currents. However, more and more migrants are trying to reach Europe this way too. This year alone, 19,700 migrants have come to the Canary Islands, which belong to Spain, since January, more than twice as many as in the same period last year.
Difficult conditions in Yemen
In Yemen, migrants often get stuck in poor and dangerous conditions and people die during the crossing. Since the end of 2014, Yemen has been ravaged by a devastating conflict between the government, the Houthi rebels and their allies. After the outbreak of the Gaza war, the situation escalated further.
The Houthis are attempting to put an end to Israeli attacks on Gaza by attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea. In response, the US and Great Britain have carried out several military strikes against Houthis’ positions.
Most recently, the Houthis have also directly attacked Israel. Israel responded with an attack involving several fighter jets after a combat drone from Yemen hit the center of Tel Aviv.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
