Death of Dozens of Migrants Following Capsizing of Two Boats in Yemeni and Mauritanian Waters

According to reports, during two separate incidents of migrant boat capsizing in the waters of Yemen and Mauritania over two days, a large number of migrants have lost their lives. The UN Refugee Agency reported on Thursday, July 25, that a boat carrying 45 migrants capsized near the coast of Yemen, and so far only 4 of its occupants have been rescued. The UN Refugee Agency's office in Yemen wrote in a message on social media platform X: 'This boat capsized on Wednesday night due to strong winds and the large number of occupants in the waters near Taiz province, located in southwestern Yemen. This incident underscores the dangerous nature of migration routes between Africa and Yemen.' In another event, the International Organization for Migration announced on Wednesday that 15 people lost their lives due to the capsizing of a migrant boat in waters near Mauritania, and approximately 150 others are likely missing. The organization stated on Wednesday, July 25, that the boat carrying migrants, which intended to go to Europe, capsized on Tuesday in waters near Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Reports indicate that the number of occupants on this boat was around 300, and the Mauritanian coast guard has so far rescued only 120 of them. The International Organization for Migration added: 'Unfortunately, the deaths of at least 15 of the occupants have been confirmed, and search and rescue operations for the missing continue.' In recent years, the movement from Senegal, passing through the waters off the west of Mauritania to reach the Canary Islands of Spain, has become one of the main migration routes from Africa to the European Union territory. The vessel that capsized this week on this route was a type of handmade fishing boat that cannot withstand the powerful waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Although thousands have reached the Canary Islands using similar vessels and this route, hundreds also lose their lives each year, and their bodies are later washed ashore on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Spanish government statistics show that in the current calendar year alone, about 20,000 illegal migrants have reached the Canary Islands via the Mauritanian route. According to the International Organization for Migration, this number is almost three times that of the same period last year. The organization added that in the previous calendar year, 1,950 migrant deaths were recorded on this route, which was the second most dangerous route for migrants heading to Europe. On the other hand, every year thousands of migrants from East African countries such as Ethiopia and Somalia undertake this dangerous route to reach wealthy Gulf Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Some of them lose their lives at sea, and many others become trapped in the difficult conditions of war-torn Yemen.