Only four survivors have been located after a boat carrying at least 45 people capsized off the coast of Yemen. This was reported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which made the announcement on Thursday. The boat capsized the night before near the coast of the Taiz Governorate, with the cause attributed to “strong winds and overloading.”

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), UNHCR emphasized that this incident highlights the dangerous journeys between Yemen and Africa. The humanitarian agency is working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other partners to assist the survivors and address their protection needs.

Further information about the incident has not yet been made public, and it remains unclear where the boat originated. However, it is well-known that the waterways between Yemen and the Horn of Africa have become a common route for refugees and migrants traveling in both directions. The region has seen an increase in the number of Yemenis fleeing the country since the civil war erupted in 2014.

In April 2022, Houthi rebels and government forces reached a truce agreement, which has resulted in a reduction of violence and some alleviation of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. At the same time, many fleeing conflicts in Africa, particularly from Somalia and Ethiopia, have sought refuge in Yemen or traveled through the country to reach more prosperous Gulf countries.

The route is considered one of the “busiest and most dangerous” migration routes in the world, according to the IOM. Over the past year, 97,000 migrants have arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa, far exceeding the 73,000 migrants who arrived in 2023. The journey is often deadly, and since 2014, the IOM has recorded 1,860 migrant deaths and disappearances along this route.

In June, at least 49 people died, and 140 went missing when their ship capsized off Alghareef Point in Yemen’s Shabwah Governorate. The boat had departed from Somalia with 115 Somali nationals and 145 Ethiopians on board, among whom six children were among the deceased. Most recently, in April, at least 62 people lost their lives in two shipwrecks off the coast of Djibouti.