At least 49 killed, 140 missing after boat carrying refugees to Yemen sinks

At least 49 people were killed and 140 went missing after a boat which was carrying refugees and migrants from the Horn of Africa to Yemen sank on June 10, as per media reports citing the United Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The vessel was carrying around 260 people, mostly from Ethiopia and Somalia, who were traveling from the northern coast of Somalia to travel 320km (200 miles) across the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen.

The IOM on June 11 issued a statement which stated that 71 people had been rescued, eight of whom were taken to hospital. At least six children and 31 women were amongst the people who died.

In April this year, at least 62 people died in two shipwrecks off the coast of Djibouti as they tried to reach Yemen.

Furthermore, the IOM said that at least 1,860 people have died or disappeared along the route, including 480 who drowned. Refugees and migrants take the route despite the devastating effects of a nearly decade-long war in Yemen, which had taken place after the Houthi group rebelled and took control of large areas of the country, including the capital, Sanaa, as per reports.

Meanwhile, IOM spokesperson Mohammedali Abunajela told reporters that the sinking of the boat "is another reminder of the urgent need to work together to address urgent migration challenges and ensure the safety and security of migrants along migration routes."