US Embassy urges action after migrant boat capsizes
By Nancy Marende, August 5, 2025The US Embassy in Ethiopia has expressed deep sorrow following a tragic maritime disaster off the coast of Yemen, where a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants capsized, resulting in dozens of deaths and many still unaccounted for.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, the embassy described the incident as heartbreaking and highlighted the extreme dangers faced by migrants who embark on perilous journeys aboard overcrowded and unsafe vessels often operated by human smugglers.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic maritime disaster off the coast of Yemen, where a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants capsized, resulting in numerous deaths and individuals unaccounted for,” read the statement in part.
“This heartbreaking event underscores the extreme dangers faced by those attempting to migrate using overcrowded and unsafe vessels operated by unscrupulous smugglers.”
The embassy pointed to the broader pattern of such incidents in the region, noting that the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has reported hundreds of deaths and disappearances along the same route in recent years.
The U.S. also emphasised the critical role of humanitarian organisations and regional governments in working together to strengthen protections for migrants and prevent further loss of life.
Disaster
At least 68 migrants died after a boat with about 157 people on board sank off the coast of Yemen in bad weather on August 3, 2025.
According to Yemen’s chief for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Abdusattor Esoev, most of the victims are believed to be Ethiopian nationals.
Yemen is a major pathway for migrants from the Horn of Africa travelling to Gulf states in search of work. The IOM estimates that hundreds have died or gone missing in shipwrecks in recent months.
Abyan security officials said that a large search-and-rescue mission had been launched and many bodies had been found across a wide area of shoreline.
Further, Esoev said the boat was on a dangerous route in the vast coastal area, which is often used by people smugglers.
He also emphasised the importance of strengthening legal safeguards for migrants to prevent them from being exploited by smugglers.
“What we are advocating for all member states… is to enhance their regular pathways so people can take legal ways in order to migrate, instead of being trapped or deceived by smugglers and taking those dangerous journeys,” he said.