Thirty-eight die after boat capsizes off Yemen – officials
At least 38 people from the Horn of Africa have died after their boat capsized off Yemen’s coast, local officials report.
Survivors informed rescuers that the vessel, which had around 250 people on board, sank due to strong winds.
The search continues for nearly 100 people who remain missing.
Local authorities in Rudum, east of Aden, stated that the passengers were mostly Ethiopian migrants using Yemen as a transit point to reach Gulf states.
Hadi Al-Khurma, the director of Rudum district, told Reuters that the boat sank before reaching the shore.
“Fishermen and residents managed to rescue 78 of the migrants, who reported that about 100 others on the same boat are missing,” he said.
“The search is ongoing, and the United Nations has been informed of the incident,” he added.
According to the UN, 97,000 migrants arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa last year.
The increase has occurred despite the war in Yemen and recent Houthi assaults on ships in the Red Sea.
