A week of hell on the high seas leaves 7 Ethiopians dead
Seven Ethiopians have died on board a vessel bound for Yemen, in what the UN has described as “a week of hell on high seas,” Africa News reported on August 7th. They were among 250 passengers attempting the perilous crossing.
The trip from Somalia to Yemen is meant to last only 24 hours. However, the boat’s engine reportedly failed in the middle of the Gulf of Aden, 185km from the Somali coast. Passengers were left stranded, including 82 children, according to a press release by the UN Migration Agency (IOM).
Over the next seven days, passengers paddled and drifted toward the southern Yemen coastline. The outlet reported that the seven casualties died from hunger and thirst. Several passengers were taken to hospital in critical condition to receive urgent care but have been discharged in stable conditions.
IOM’s medical teams provided survivors with water, food and treatment for dehydration, malnutrition and exposure to extreme weather.
“IOM mourns the loss of seven lives. Our focus remains on supporting survivors and preventing further suffering” for people who have been “exploited, terrified and traumatised,” said Abdusattor Esoev, IOM Chief of Mission in Yemen.
The tragedy comes just days after another boat capsized on the same route, leaving only 12 passengers alive. Esoev called the latest incident a “wake-up call for all involved to intensify humanitarian response, enhance search and rescue operations and address the drivers of irregular migration.”
Tens of thousands of migrants attempt the crossing from the Horn of Africa each year in seach of work in wealthier Gulf countries, according to the Mixed Migration Centre. The route, which crosses the Red Sea and passes through Yemen, is considered the busiest and most dangerous irregular migration pathway, exposing travellers to “violence, abuse and exploitation” at sea and on land.
Africa News, Maghrebi
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