DUBAI: At least 64 African migrants are missing after their boat sank off the coast of Yemen, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday.
The incident took place on Sunday in the Bab al-Mandab Strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, the UN agency said.
The boat was carrying around 90 migrants, including 60 women, and was heading towards Yemen from Djibouti when it went down, the statement said.
Yemeni coastguards rescued 26 people, the IOM said, adding that the accident was a result of engine failure in rough waters.
“This tragedy highlights the pressing need for global cooperation in establishing safer migration pathways,” said Matt Huber, IOM Yemen’s acting chief of mission.
Such incidents are common off Yemen, a country at war but still attracting migrants hoping to reach neighbouring Saudi Arabia or other wealthy Gulf states.
In 2022 the IOM recorded 867 migrant deaths in Yemen, with at least 795 dying on the route between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
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