ABYAN-(MaraviPost)-A devastating maritime tragedy has unfolded off the coast of Yemen, where a boat carrying 154 Ethiopian migrants capsized, resulting in at least 68 deaths and 74 people still missing.

The UN migration agency, IOM, confirms that only 12 people survived this horrific incident which occurred in the Gulf of Aden near the southern Yemeni province of Abyan.

Recovery efforts have been underway with 54 bodies washing ashore in the Khanfar district while 14 others were found dead and taken to a hospital morgue in Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan.

The Abyan security directorate reports a massive search and rescue operation is ongoing with many bodies scattered across a wide area of the shore.

This tragic event highlights the perilous journey tens of thousands of migrants mainly from Ethiopia, undertake annually, risking their lives to reach the Gulf states for work.

Despite Yemen’s decade-long civil war, it remains a major migration route.

The IOM notes that over 60,000 African migrants arrived in Yemen in 2024, a decrease from 97,200 in 2023, likely due to increased patrolling of regional waters.