KEY POINTS
- Two migrant boats capsized off Djibouti, leaving at least 45 people dead.
- The vessels were reportedly overcrowded, and the migrants were attempting a perilous journey to the Arabian Peninsula.
- Authorities and rescue teams are still searching for survivors and bodies, raising concerns over the ongoing migrant crisis in the region.
At least 45 people have been reported dead after two boats carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti as per the United Nations.
The disaster which took place when the migrants trying to improve their standard of living were in the middle of the risky waters of the Gulf of Aden attempting to get to the Arabian Peninsula. The boats were said to have been overcrowded, which caused the tragedy.
Search operations are continuing at this time with local authorities and humanitarian organizations still trying to save lives and retrieve corpses. Nevertheless, the chances of finding the remaining missing people are slim-by-sea conditions and much time elapsed since the boats are sunk.
Full boats cause calamity
It was reported that the two boats had been overcrowded with people than the recommended capacity of the boats, a factor that has been common with the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean.
People risk their lives in search of a better life or a better job, and they use unproper boats to travel the seas.
This route, from Djibouti to Yemen, is considered to be one of the most dangerous migration routes on the planet.
In their case, they are likely to be trafficked, exposed to harsh weather, and encounter danger of capsizing. Yet thousands risk these dangers, they run away from conflict, poverty and persecution in the horn of Africa and in other parts of the world.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that the number of migrants attempting this crossing has risen in recent years, even though the dangers are no secret. Most do not realize the extent of threat they are exposed to until the worst happens.
Reuters reported that the current migration crisis in the region has put a lot of pressure on both national and global humanitarian organizations.
This latest calamity has added another factor that made necessary a holistic approach to handle the problem in an effort to accommodate the push factors behind migration and offer safer havens for those who are subjected to calamitous situations.
The migrant crisis continues in East Africa
The Red Sea crossing point between Djibouti and Yemen has emerged as one of the most dangerous routes in the world. Yearly, thousands of migrants, several from Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea, undertake the life-threatening journey by sea, even though many could face abuse and even death.
The situation has not been helped by the civil war in Yemen which has seen many migrants find themselves trapped in the conflict zone, and most of them suffer from severe abuse at the hands of their captors.
The UNHCR and IOM have reacted to this by appealing for increased measures to address some of the causes of this migration as constituted by poverty, conflict, human rights injustices in the home countries of these migrants.
There have also been demands regarding increased actions against human trafficking mafias using people’s distress for making money.
Hope for policy changes
These two boats’ sinking is a sad reminder that the risks that migrants continue to encounter in the region. The global society is thus under pressure to look for sustainable solutions to these crises; in terms of safer channels for migration and in terms of addressing the causes of migration.
Some worrisome signs are that increasing cooperation between governments, intergovernmental organizations and the donors might propel the policies that could offer asylum seekers better protection.
