Droughts, famines and displacement
Boat disasters on the Somali migration routes: the Gulf of Aden and the Mediterranean
Thousands of Somalis and Ethiopians have died crossing the Gulf of Aden to Yemen. UNHCR counted over 1,400 dead or missing on that crossing in 2007 alone. The largest losses recorded include January 2008 (116 dead when smugglers forced passengers overboard), 18 December 2012 off Bosaso (55 dead) and 10 June 2024 off Yemen (at least 49 dead, 140 missing). In April 2016 up to 500 people, including 200 to 300 Somalis according to Somalia's information minister, were feared dead in the Mediterranean.
In short
| Date | Route | What happened | Dead or missing | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 (whole year) | Gulf of Aden | many crossings | over 1,400 | UNHCR |
| Jan 2008 | Gulf of Aden | smugglers forced 135 overboard; boat capsized | 116 dead | UNHCR |
| Jan 2008 | Gulf of Aden | boat capsized in strong winds | 16 women and children | UNHCR |
| Oct 2008 | Marera (near Bosaso) to Yemen | passengers forced overboard | about 100 missing | UNHCR |
| 18 Dec 2012 | Bosaso to Yemen | boat sank 15 minutes after leaving | 55 | UNHCR, IOM |
| Apr 2016 | Libya to Italy | larger boat capsized during transfer | up to 500 (estimate) | UNHCR |
| 10 Jun 2024 | Bosaso to Yemen | boat capsized off Shabwa | 49 dead, 140 missing | IOM |
The routes themselves are described on migration routes.
The Gulf of Aden crossing
Boats leave the Puntland coast near Bosaso for Yemen. UNHCR said that in 2007 over 29,500 boat people arrived in Yemen, and over 1,400 people died or went missing on the crossing. Arrivals told UNHCR they paid US$150 for the trip (UN News, 22 January 2008).
- January 2008. Smugglers ordered 135 passengers overboard, fearing capture by the Yemeni coast guard. A large wave capsized the boat, killing 114 passengers and two smugglers. The next day a boat with 29 Somalis capsized in strong winds; 10 women and 6 children died. UNHCR counted 157 dead or missing in the first 19 days of 2008. Spokesman William Spindler said many people "are willing to take the risk" because of conditions at home (UN News, 22 January 2008).
- October 2008. UNHCR searched for about 100 people forced overboard off Yemen from a boat that left Marera, near Bosaso (Hiiraan Online, October 2008).
- 18 December 2012. A boat carrying 60 Ethiopians and Somalis sank about 15 minutes after leaving Bosaso. Five Somali men swam to shore; 55 died. Most were said to be seeking work in Yemen. A survivor told IOM that the crew had beaten passengers to keep them seated. UNHCR said this brought the 2012 total dead or missing in the Gulf of Aden to 150 (VOA, December 2012; Wikipedia, December 2012 Gulf of Aden migrant boat disaster).
- 10 June 2024. A boat that left Bosaso at about 3 a.m. on 9 June with 260 people, 115 Somalis and 145 Ethiopians, capsized the next day off Shabwa in southern Yemen. IOM reported at least 49 dead, including 31 women and 6 children, and 140 missing. IOM said rescue was hampered by "a shortage of operational patrol boats" (The New Arab, 11 June 2024).
The Mediterranean, April 2016
On 16 April 2016 a merchant ship rescued 41 survivors and took them to Kalamata, Greece: 23 Somalis, 11 Ethiopians, 6 Egyptians and 1 Sudanese. They said they had left near Tobruk in Libya in a group of 100 to 200 people. At sea, smugglers tried to move them onto a larger, overcrowded boat, which capsized. UNHCR said that if confirmed, "as many as 500 people may have lost their lives" (UNHCR, 20 April 2016). Information Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir told Reuters: "We have no fixed number, but it is between 200 and 300 Somalis." The government then barred ordinary Somalis from travelling to Sudan, a common transit route (SBS / Reuters, April 2016).
Sources
- UN News (2008). Over 130 migrants from Somalia die as boats capsize off Yemen, UN reports, 22 January 2008.
- Hiiraan Online (2008). 100 Somalis feared dead off Yemen coast: UNHCR.
- VOA (2012). Fifty-five dead in boat capsize off Somalia.
- Wikipedia. December 2012 Gulf of Aden migrant boat disaster.
- UNHCR (2016). Survivors report massive loss of life in latest Mediterranean Sea tragedy, 20 April 2016.
- SBS / Reuters (2016). At least 200 drown as boat carrying Somali migrants capsizes.
- The New Arab (2024). 49 migrants dead after boat sinks off Yemen coast, IOM says, 11 June 2024.
Sources
- UN News, 22 January 2008 · news.un.org
- Hiiraan Online, October 2008 · hiiraan.com
- VOA, December 2012 · voanews.com
- Wikipedia, December 2012 Gulf of Aden migrant boat disaster · en.wikipedia.org
- The New Arab, 11 June 2024 · newarab.com
- UNHCR, 20 April 2016 · data.unhcr.org
- SBS / Reuters, April 2016 · sbs.com.au
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