from SAID ABOUBAKER in Djibouti City, Djibouti
Djibouti Correspondent
DJIBOUTI, (CAJ News) – THE death of at least 45 people aboard vessels heading from Yemen marks 2024 as the deadliest year in migrant sea crossings between the Horn of Africa and the Asian country.
The incident occurred off the coast of Obock, near Godoria involving two boats transporting migrants.
Some 134 migrants are still missing after they were forced off their vessel in open sea by smugglers.
According to survivors, the first boat carried 100 migrants while the second had 210 on board all returning to Djibouti from Yemen.
Migrants were reportedly forced by the Yemenite boat operators to disembark in the open sea and swim.
This incident is also the second deadliest on the Eastern Route, following the death of 196 people in June 2024.
Prior to this incident, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) recorded 124 deaths in 2024 off the coast of Djibouti.
IOM in Djibouti is supporting state emergency services in search and rescue operations for missing persons. So far, 32 people have been rescued and are receiving medical and psychosocial support.
Many migrants use this route to leave and return to their countries of origin, particularly Ethiopia and Somalia, with the hope of pursuing better livelihood opportunities in Gulf countries.
“This underscores the urgent need for robust measures to protect migrants and prevent future loss of life along this route,” said an IOM spokesperson.
Since 2014, IOM Missing Migrants Project has recorded more than 1 300 cases of migrant deaths due to drowning on the Eastern Route, including 337 from January to August 2024.
– CAJ News