Seven Ethiopian migrants die of hunger and thirst after boat engine fails
According to the IOM, the boat broke down 100 nautical miles into its trip. “The boat is reported to have experienced engine failure 100 nautical miles into its journey,” the IOM said in a statement.
Seven Ethiopian migrants have died from hunger and thirst after their boat broke down during a journey across the Red Sea, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday.
The boat, which was carrying 250 people, including 82 children, had left Somalia for Yemen but took a deadly turn after experiencing engine failure.
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According to the IOM, the boat broke down 100 nautical miles into its trip. “The boat is reported to have experienced engine failure 100 nautical miles into its journey,” the IOM said in a statement.
“What should have been a 24-hour journey took a week, relying on wind and paddling,” the agency added. “Seven of the migrants died of hunger and thirst en route.”
The group arrived in Yemen on Tuesday after enduring seven days at sea with no food or water. The IOM said many were exhausted and needed urgent help.
The agency’s medical team received the survivors in Yemen, with some taken to a clinic and later discharged in stable condition. “These people have been through a week of hell on the high seas. They have been exploited, terrified and traumatised,” said Abdusattor Esoev, the IOM's chief of mission in Yemen.
This tragedy comes just days after another boat capsized off the coast of Yemen, killing more than 90 migrants, most of them also Ethiopians.
Following the incident, Ethiopian authorities urged citizens to avoid dangerous and irregular travel routes. Many Ethiopians attempt the risky journey to escape poverty and conflict, hoping to reach Gulf countries by passing through war-torn Yemen.
The Red Sea remains one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. According to the IOM, at least 558 lives have been lost along this route in 2024 alone.
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