At least 49 migrants were killed, and 140 others are still missing after a boat carrying more than 200 migrants sank off the coast of Yemen, according to what the International Organization for Migration announced.
The United Nations said in a statement that “at least 49 migrants were killed while 140 others are still missing after the boat carrying 260 migrants sank off Yemen last Monday.”
It added that among the dead were “31 women and six children, and that the boat was carrying 115 Somalis and 145 Ethiopians on board.”
The number of victims increased after the spokesman for the United Nations announced through his account on the ‘X’ platform earlier about ‘a tragic accident off the coast of Yemen: a boat carrying 260 migrants sank, 39 dead, 150 missing, and 71 survivors,’ pointing out that ‘the organization provides Immediate aid for survivors.
The IOM later quoted its official spokesman, Mohamed Ali Abunjila, as saying, ‘This latest tragedy is another reminder of the urgent need to work together to c
onfront urgent migration challenges and ensure the safety and security of migrants along migration routes.’
The organization stated in its statement, quoting survivors, that ‘the boat left Bosaso, Somalia, at dawn on Sunday, carrying 115 Somali citizens and 145 Ethiopians, including 90 women.’
It indicated that it “mobilized two mobile medical teams to provide immediate assistance to the survivors, and eight of them were referred to the hospital, while search and rescue operations are still continuing despite the great challenges resulting from the shortage of operational patrol boats.”
It stated that “members of the local community, including fishermen, played a crucial role in the aftermath of the disaster by assisting in recovery efforts and assisting with burial operations.”
Source: National Iraqi News Agency