A boat carrying 154 Ethiopian migrants capsized off Yemen’s coast on Sunday, killing 68 and leaving 74 missing, with only 12 survivors, according to the UN migration agency.

The boat went down off the coast of Abyan, slipping beneath the waves of the Gulf of Aden in a remote, perilous stretch of sea. Bodies were found scattered across the coast, with 54 washing ashore and 14 taken to a morgue in Zinjibar.

Despite the ongoing civil war, Yemen remains a key transit route for African migrants heading to Gulf countries. Many risk dangerous sea crossings on overcrowded smuggler boats.

In March, the sinking of four boats resulted in 186 migrants reported missing, marking one of the deadliest incidents in recent months.

Over 60,000 migrants arrived in Yemen in 2024. Border crossings dropped to 97,200 in 2023, a decline attributed in part to enhanced surveillance and stricter enforcement measures.