At least 72 Ethiopian refugees drowned in the Gulf of Aden

Bodies of Ethiopian drowning victims in Yemen

October 27, 2012 (Durame)- At least 72 Ethiopian migrants are reported to have drowned yesterday while attempting to cross from Bossaso, Somalia to Yemen, authorities there reported.

The migrants were traveling in two boats which were hit by strong winds and waves that capsized them miles off the Yemeni shore, state officials disclosed.

Fleeing political oppression and economic hardship, Yemen is seen as a gateway for other parts of Middle East due to its proximity to more prosperous gulf states.

Despite the risks of the voyage, some 75,000 thousand Ethiopian migrants cross the Gulf of Aden annually, according to the United Nation’s refugee agency.

Yemen says it will implement measures in the immediate future that could reduce the rising number of Ethiopian migrants entering the country, according to Interior Minister Abdul-Qader Qahtan.

Durame