Thirteen people are confirmed dead after a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants capsized off the coast of Yemen almost a week ago. Fourteen others remain missing, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The bodies of 11 men and two women were recovered along the shores of Bab al-Mandab Strait, which separates the Arabian Peninsula and Africa.
Search operations are continuing, with 14 people still missing, including the Yemeni captain and his assistant.
According to the IOM, it is not clear what caused the accident at sea.
The agency said that the migrant boat with 25 Ethiopian nationals and two Yemenis on board had departed from Djibouti. It was discovered later near Yemen's Taiz governorate in the southwest of the country.
"This latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the perils faced by migrants on this route," said Matt Huber, the acting chief of the IOM mission in Yemen. "Every life lost in these dangerous waters is one too many, and it is imperative that we do not normalize these devastating losses and instead work collectively to ensure that migrants are protected and supported throughout their journeys."
More migrants crossing the Red Sea
Each year, thousands of people leave from countries in the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula across the Red Sea via the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The IOM recorded close to 100,000 arrivals in Yemen in 2023 alone.
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Yemen is a transit country for migrants and refugees hoping to move further northeast to the Gulf states.
Ten years of civil war have led to Yemen's becoming one of the poorest nations in the world. The current worsening of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East is also affecting the country, as Iran-backed Houthi rebels have also launched attacks on Israel and its allies.
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Over 2,000 deaths in ten years
With more migrants and refugees trying to reach Yemen, accidents and deaths in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is one of the world's most important sea trade routes, are becoming more frequent.
In July, a boat with at least 45 refugees capsized off Yemen's Taiz governorate, with only four survivors. Another accident in June left at least 49 people dead 140 missing.
Since 2014, the IOM has recorded a total of 2,082 migrant deaths and disappearances along this migrant route, which runs from East Africa and the Horn of Africa to the Persian Gulf.
Also read: UN says 2023 deadliest year for migrants in a decade
with Reuters, AP, Anadolu Agency