109 migrants, including 15 children killed after boat capsizes off Djibouti en route to Yemen
At least 109 migrants, including 15 children have been killed after a boat with 305 on board capsized off the coast of Djibouti in east Africa. The boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen when it capsized on Thursday night or Friday morning, the International Organisation for Migration said on Sunday. As per IOM, 52 men, 42 women and 15 children died and over 80 people survived the accident. Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa travel through Djibouti and across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait towards the Gulf countries, in search of safety and economic opportunities, said the IOM in its statement. That movement has continued despite violence in Yemen.
“This is a devastating loss of life,” said Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti. “This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities,” he said.
Meanwhile, lots of people are fleeing war-torn Yemen and seeking safety across the Red Sea in Djibouti, with the UN migration agency warning that more Yemenis are ready to make the crossing by boat. More than 2,000 Yemenis are currently in Djibouti, where the country’s government and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) are providing food and shelter. Yemen’s internationally recognised government and Saudi Arabia have been battling the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for 12 years.
Saudi-led forces intensify Yemen offensive
The escalation comes after Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces launched a major ground and air operation over the weekend. The offensive is aimed at recapturing territory along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that the Houthis seized about a month ago.
The Bab el-Mandeb is a strategically important maritime passage and serves as an alternative shipping route to the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic through the Hormuz route has already been curtailed amid the ongoing Iran war, making developments around the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb particularly significant for regional security and global trade.
The Houthis, a Yemen-based group, has kept targeting the Saudis since July, with the United Nations (UN) saying the fighting has displaced more than 200,000 people within the country. Last month, the group had also seized the entire western coastline along the Red Sea, which many described as the deadliest fighting in years.
Yemen has said it would retake all the lost territory from the Houthis, while the Saudis have turned to their allies for help. The Saudis had also requested the United States (US) to intervene, but President Donald Trump refused to strike the Houthis after assurance from the group that it won’t target American assets in the region. However, Trump has approved a proposal of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia for USD 24.3 billion.
-With inputs from AP.
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