SRINAGAR: At least 109 bodies have been recovered after a boat carrying migrants from Djibouti to Yemen capsized overnight between Thursday and Friday, with more than 80 people surviving the disaster, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday.
The survivors are all Ethiopian nationals, while the bodies recovered include 52 men, 42 women and 15 children, according to the United Nations migration agency. Search and rescue operations by Djiboutian authorities are continuing amid fears that more people remain missing.
IOM teams are working alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance to the survivors, Xinhua reported, citing the United Nations organisation.
“This is a devastating loss of life. Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives,” said Alexandre Coissac, IOM chief of mission in Djibouti.
He said the tragedy highlighted the dangers faced by migrants travelling along the route in search of economic opportunities.
According to the IOM statement, local authorities are providing medical care to survivors and arranging dignified burials for those who died.
The latest disaster adds to a series of deadly incidents along Djibouti’s Red Sea coast, where migrants from East Africa attempt the perilous journey across the sea to Yemen and onward to other parts of the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia.
The route exposes migrants to significant risks, including dangerous sea conditions, as they seek better economic prospects.
