Two boats carrying over 180 migrants capsized off the coast of Yemen’s Dhubab district in Ta’iz Governorate on Thursday, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s field reports.
The incident occurred amid some of the worst weather in years, as described by local reports, IOM press note says.
The vessels, which were attempting the dangerous journey from the Horn of Africa, sank in rough seas, a known risk during this season. Among those on board were at least 124 men and 57 women. While two Yemeni crew members were rescued, all passengers and the remaining crew are feared dead, with no bodies recovered so far.
Yet, despite these dangers, thousands continue to make the journey each year. More than 60,000 migrants arrived in Yemen last year alone.
Since 2014, IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has recorded over 3,400 deaths and disappearances along the Eastern Route, including more than 580 women and 100 children. 1,400 of these deaths were caused by drowning, it reads.
Meanwhile, IOM’s new report shows that almost 750,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to their places of origin in Syria since November 2024. However, some seven million remain displaced within the country, which is recovering from 14 years of war.
The report highlights a notable decline in displacement since mid-December 2024, with return movements intensifying in January this year, following the ousting of President Bashar Al-Assad’s government.
Fifty percent of Syrians returning from outside the country came from Lebanon, 22 per cent from Türkiye and 13 per cent from Iraq, the report stated.
