Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has confirmed that seven Ethiopian migrants, including vulnerable individuals, lost their lives from hunger and thirst during a perilous sea crossing from Somalia to Yemen.
According to IOM, the overcrowded boat—carrying 250 people, among them 82 children—broke down mid-journey, leaving those on board stranded for seven days without adequate food or water. The vessel was attempting the dangerous Gulf of Aden route, a well-known corridor for migrants seeking to reach the Arabian Peninsula despite its high risks.
The survivors eventually reached the Arqah region in southern Yemen on Tuesday. Many were in dire condition, suffering severe dehydration, exhaustion, and trauma. IOM response teams were deployed to provide lifesaving assistance, including emergency medical care, clean water, food, and shelter.
The tragedy underscores the growing dangers faced by migrants and refugees fleeing hardship in the Horn of Africa, often driven by conflict, poverty, and climate shocks. The IOM has repeatedly warned of the deadly toll of irregular migration routes, where smugglers and unsafe vessels leave people vulnerable to abandonment, abuse, and death at sea.
This latest incident adds to a mounting number of fatalities along the Horn of Africa–Yemen migration corridor, one of the most treacherous maritime crossings in the world.