At least fifty-six people have died while trying to make the perilous Gulf of Aden crossing from Somalia to Yemen, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Ron Redmond told journalists that a dozen boats carrying 925 Somalis, Ethiopians and others fleeing growing violence and insecurity in the region had arrived in Yemen since September 3.
Another boat with 100 Somalis on board apparently failed to reach Yemen after encountering problems during the voyage, and spent six days adrift in the shark-infested waters.
Those passengers who made it back to Somalia told the UNHCR that many of them had been beaten, with some reportedly doused with acid by the smugglers.
“The bodies of those who did not survive the six-day ordeal were reportedly thrown overboard. We do not have the numbers of those who died there,” Redmond said.
Other recent arrivals in Yemen also spoke of the violence and hardships they faced on their voyage, telling UNHCR officials they had been beaten and that 24 of their number had died during the voyage — three from beatings, 11 from being crammed into the boat’s hold and 10 who drowned in deep offshore waters.
The passengers said they paid between $70 and $150 dollars to make the crossing. Upon arrival in Yemen their sufferings did not stop, as they claimed they then came under fire from military forces in the Jalbad region.
In 2006, nearly 29 000 people were recorded arriving in Yemen, with at least 328 people dying and 310 listed as missing. — AFP