The narrow waters between the Horn of Africa and Yemen have been a popular migration route despite Yemen’s ongoing conflict. The smuggler forced more than 120 migrants into the sea Wednesday morning as they approached Yemen’s coast, the IOM statement said. De Boeck called the suffering of migrants on the route enormous, especially during the current windy season on the Indian Ocean. The IOM says about 55,000 migrants have left Horn of Africa nations for Yemen since January, with most from Somalia and Ethiopia. Despite the fighting in Yemen, African migrants continue to arrive in the war-torn country where there is no central authority to prevent them from travelling onward.

Source: National Post August 09, 2017 18:59 UTC