DJIBOUTI, Djibouti (AXADLE) – Heartbreaking news emerged from the Ethiopian Embassy in Djibouti, confirming the loss of 48 Ethiopian souls after a fateful boat mishap on October 1, 2024.
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The tragedy unfolded with two severely overloaded boats ferrying 320 hopefuls from Yemen to Djibouti.
“All the unfortunate souls involved in this calamity were Ethiopians,” declared the embassy after on-site verification. Fortunately, 197 survivors were salvaged and safely transported to the global refugee haven in Obock.
A few days back, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) revealed that at least 45 lives were lost, with 111 folks still M.I.A. after being cruelly tossed into the briny blue by rogue traffickers. This heart-wrenching incident took place near Godoria, off Obock’s shoreline, as two vessels, loaded with returning migrants from Yemen, met their doom.
Voicing “deep sorrow” over this monumental loss, the embassy emphasized continuous efforts to locate the 75 missing passengers.
The embassy made a fervent plea for tougher anti-trafficking initiatives, emphasizing the necessity of “heightened collaboration among entities to stamp out illegal human trafficking.”
In a determined tone, the Ethiopian Embassy assured that their homeland would mete out “severe measures” against those perpetrating such vile acts.
Previously, survivor stories shared by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) painted a grim portrait of smugglers booting passengers off their overloaded vessels—one crammed with 100 refugees, the other with 210.
This sorrowful episode isn’t an isolated case among Ethiopian travelers. Just a month earlier, a similar tragedy off Yemen’s Ta’iz governorate claimed 13 lives, with 14 reported as missing.
Regrettably, such grievous occurrences aren’t rare, as countless Ethiopian migrants risk dangerous sea travels to seek a better future, often paying the ultimate price.
