At least 56 people have drowned over the past 24 hours, and dozens remain missing, after human traffickers forced 300 African migrants off two Yemen-bound boats and into the sea. Survivors -- all Ethiopian and Somali migrants -- managed to make their way to Shabwa, a southern province along Yemen's Arabian Sea coastline, the International Organization for Migration said. At least six people drowned on Thursday after human smugglers forced 180 Ethiopians off their boat and into the choppy waters of the Arabian Sea, an IOM spokesperson told AFP. Despite the war, smugglers -- who are highly active in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden -- have continued to offer passage through Yemen, which shares a land border with Saudi Arabia. In March, a helicopter opened fire on the vessel carrying over 140 Somali passengers in the Red Sea off the Yemen coast, killing 42 civilians and wounding another 34.

Source: Ethiopian News August 10, 2017 15:33 UTC