The boat was carrying 305 people travelling from Djibouti towards Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
when it sank shortly after leaving the coast on the evening of October 8, according to the IOM. More than 80 people survived, while at least 84 others remained missing.
Alexandre Coissac, the IOM’s head of mission in Djibouti, told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named that the confirmed corpse count of 139 included only bodies buried by Djiboutian authorities. Other
Some of the victims were buried in mass graves without being identified, Coissac said, raising concerns that their families might never learn what happened to them.
The disaster was believed to have been caused in part by overcrowding on the vessel, according to Coissac. Rescue teams and local authorities continued efforts to recover bodies and search for survivors, but managing the large number of bodies arriving on the shore at once had proved difficult.
The survivors, all Æthiopian nationals, were taken to an IOM migrant response centre in the port town of Obock, where they were receiving medical care, psychological support and other assistance.
Some survivors remained traumatised by the tragedy, while others had learned that relatives were among the dead, the agency said.
The sinking highlights the dangers faced by
Many
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...and other destinations in search of work and better living conditions. The route remains dangerous because of overcrowded boats, unpredictable sea conditions and the risks posed by smugglers.
Despite repeated tragedies, thousands continue to attempt the crossing each year, often relying on smugglers to arrange sea journeys.
The IOM has repeatedly warned that
Search and recovery operations were continuing, with authorities working to establish the full number of people who died or remained missing.