ADDIS ABABA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Thursday said that at least 20 African migrants died off the coast of Djibouti.
"At least 20 people have drowned after smugglers threw dozens of migrants overboard early Wednesday morning during their journey from Djibouti to Yemen, the third such incident on the Gulf of Aden in six months," the IOM said in a press statement.
According to the IOM, at least 200 migrants, including children, were crowded aboard the vessel when it initially departed, but smugglers forced roughly 80 people into the sea after 30 minutes into the journey.
Five bodies were recovered Wednesday, with 15 more bodies recovered Thursday.
"We work closely with the authorities in Djibouti to assist migrants, but Wednesday's tragedy is further proof that criminals continue to exploit people desperate to improve their lives for profit regardless of the consequences," said IOM Djibouti Chief of Mission, Stephanie Daviot. "Smugglers and human traffickers must be prosecuted for their crimes, and new migration pathways established to allow people to pursue work opportunities abroad in a safe, legal and dignified manner."
The latest accident is one of many similar deadly calamities that have occurred on Djibouti's Red Sea coast area.
In most cases, such incidents occur as desperate East African migrants attempt to cross the dangerous route hoping to reach the Middle East via war-torn Yemen. They are mainly aiming at reaching Yemen's northern neighbor Saudi Arabia. Enditem
