Thirty African migrants drown off Yemen

A boat loaded with hopeful immigrants sails through the Gulf of Aden

Sanaa, Yemen, 1 December 2007 - Thirty African migrants, including seven women, drowned after their boat overturned while trying to cross the Gulf of Aden from Somalia to Yemen, the defence ministry said on Saturday.

Their bodies were found washed ashore early Friday in the southern region of Hadramut, while 41 others, including five women, were rescued, said the website of the ministry newspaper September 26.

The Yemeni coastguard was still searching for 69 others missing, who were on the same boat which set out from the Somali port of Bosasso, it added.

Although the ministry said the dead were Somalis, it was not clear how their nationalities were determined.

Sixty-four African migrants drowned on November 22 while trying to cross, while 40 others drowned early in November after being thrown overboard by people traffickers.

The UNHCR estimates that more than 20,000 people have made the perilous crossing this year, with more than 439 deaths and another 489 people missing.

Many of the migrants who attempt the journey are desperate to flee conflict and persecution in their home regions in Africa.

The crossing takes two days at best and is made especially dangerous due to shark-infested waters, strong currents and inhumane conditions on poorly maintained vessels that are open to the elements.

Source: AFP