The UN reports that at least two people have died and 186 are missing after four migrant boats capsized off the coasts of Yemen and Djibouti overnight Friday. The boats were carrying migrants from Africa.

According to Tamim Eleian, a spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), two boats capsized off the coast of Yemen late Thursday. While two crewmembers were rescued, 186 migrants and five Yemeni crewmembers are still missing, Eleian told The Associated Press.

Around the same time, two more boats capsized near Djibouti. The bodies of two migrants were recovered, but all other passengers were rescued, the spokesperson said.

Abdusattor Esoev, head of the IOM mission in Yemen, explained to AP that strong winds caused the two boats near Djibouti to capsize shortly after they set sail.

The third boat, which capsized off the coast of Dhubab district in the Taiz governorate of southwestern Yemen, was carrying 31 Ethiopian migrants and three Yemeni crew members.

The fourth boat, which capsized near the same area, was en route to Ahwar district in the Abyan governorate, carrying 150 Ethiopian migrants and four Yemeni crew members.

Yemen is a frequently used route for migrants from East Africa and the Horn of Africa seeking work in Gulf countries. Hundreds of thousands attempt this journey each year. Smugglers transport migrants on often dangerous, overcrowded boats across the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen.

In 2023, the number of migrants reaching Yemen tripled from 2021, reaching 97,200. However, an IOM report this month indicates that the number dropped to just under 61,000 last year, likely due to increased patrolling of the waters.

The IOM reports that at least 2,082 migrants have disappeared along this route over the past decade, with 693 known to have drowned. Approximately 380,000 migrants are currently in Yemen.

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