Officials in Yemen have confirmed that at least 38 people from East Africa have died following a boat accident off the coast of Yemen.
The vessel, which was carrying around 250 people, sank due to strong winds.
Divers and rescuers are still searching for nearly 100 people who are yet to be found.
Those on board were mostly migrants from Ethiopia, who use Yemen as a transit point to reach Gulf states, local authorities in Rudum said.
The director of Rudum district, Hadi Al-Khurma, told the press that the boat sank before it reached the shores.
“Fishermen and residents managed to rescue 78 of the migrants, who reported that about 100 others who were with them on the same boat are missing.”
In 2022, UNHCR data revealed that a total of 23,702 Ethiopians applied for asylum in other countries.
UN records show that 97,000 migrants arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa in 2023.
The increase has occurred despite the war in Yemen and recent Houthi assaults on ships in the Red Sea.