By Horn Africa News
Bosaso– At least seven Ethiopian migrants have died from hunger and thirst after the boat they were traveling in broke down at sea during a smuggling journey from Bosaso, Somalia, to southern Yemen, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
In a statement issued by the IOM, the vessel was carrying approximately 250 Ethiopian migrants. The journey was expected to take 24 hours, but the boat eventually reached the shores of Arqa in Yemen’s Shabwah Governorate after a week at sea.
By the time the boat arrived, the condition of many passengers was dire. Seven deaths have been officially confirmed, while dozens of others were found in critical condition due to dehydration, malnutrition, and exhaustion.
IOM medical teams rushed to the site to provide urgent humanitarian assistance, including clean water, food, and medical care. Many of the survivors were transferred to health facilities for further treatment.
“This was a horrific and unimaginable journey,” said Abdusattar Yousuf, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Yemen. “They spent a week stranded at sea without adequate food or water. Physically and psychologically, they were in a severely distressed state. This is yet another human tragedy.”
Yousuf emphasized that such tragedies will continue unless the root causes of irregular migration are addressed—factors like economic hardship, unemployment, conflict, and violence across parts of the Horn of Africa.
The incident underscores the growing dangers faced by migrants using perilous routes across the Gulf of Aden, often facilitated by smugglers who show little regard for human life.
