Sept,12,2005- 61 Somalis headed to Yemen die at sea

At least 61 Somali migrants died after smugglers left them helpless for 20 days in a faulty boat during a crossing to Yemen, survivors said today.

A Danish ship sailing nearby saw the stranded boat and managed to rescue 39 people, including a woman who gave birth at sea to a baby boy, and took them to Djibouti.

"We were 100 when we left (the Somalia port of) Bosasso heading to Yemen but after three days we finished most of our food," said Adan Roble, a survivor.

"We ate everything we could find including sea shrubs but 61 of us died of hunger while others committed suicide by plunging into the sea."

Last week 45 Africans, mostly Somalis and Ethiopians, drowned in a separate incident when armed smugglers forced them overboard during a crossing to Yemen.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said increasing numbers of African migrants are likely to risk their lives sailing to Yemen in the coming months due to the start of calmer weather in the Gulf of Aden.

Advertisement
AdvertisementDuring the 20-day ordeal, only the strongest and the most vulnerable survived.

"We were forced to rob the women and other frail travellers their little food in order to survive," Mohamed Aw-Said, another survivor said. "But we all shared whatever we got with a woman who gave birth to a baby boy."

Somalis fleeing violence in their homeland and Ethiopians in search of better economic prospects often attempt the hazardous 300km crossing to Yemen in hope of reaching oil-rich Gulf region and Europe.

Hundreds have drowned on journeys, often in overloaded and rickety vessels run by smugglers.

- Reuters