A Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) team assisting refugees and migrants who cross the Gulf of Aden encountered on Dec. 15, 56 dead bodies near Arqa, on the shore of Yemen.

Photo : MSF.

When the MSF team arrived in the morning, they first found a group of 49 survivors, 10 of them women, on the shore. Further ahead were dozens of bodies washed upon a five kilometre stretch of coast. The team counted 56 bodies, more than half of them women, and five children, some very small. The survivors told the team that the boat on which they were travelling capsized and many passengers remained trapped. Hence, many more may have perished.

Photo : MSF.

According to the survivors' testimonies, they travelled on one boat, leaving from Bossaso, Somalia, most probably on Dec. 12. The approximately eight-metre fibreglass boat was packed with 148 people, Somalis and Ethiopians. There were a large number of women (around 40) and children (at least five, the youngest eight months old). During the voyage the passengers had no food or water. There were at least 20 people — all Ethiopians — in the hull of the boat. At least four people died during the trip due to the very hard conditions.

The survivors explained that the boat arrived at around midnight and stopped far from the shore. Passengers were forced to jump into the water. As they refused, they were beaten heavily. In the ensuing panic, people moved to one side, and the boat capsized.

On the shore, the MSF team encountered many grief-stricken people who were looking for their relatives. A 25-year-old Somali man from Merca said he lost his wife, two children and two other close relatives. "I have no choice. Even if I die in the sea I need to get to Yemen. Maybe I have a chance to survive, but if I go back to Mogadishu I will die," said another Somali man from Mogadishu.

MSF staff provided medical assistance to the survivors. Many had stab wounds all over their bodies. The team applied 30 dressings to the wounds and distributed food and other relief items. They also offered counselling to the survivors as many had lost more than one close relative or friend.

Photo : MSF. | A MSF team provides assistance to the survivors on the shore.

MSF started its project in this area in September 2007, providing medical and humanitarian assistance to refugees and migrants arriving to the Yemeni coast of Abyan and Shabwa Governorates. Since the beginning of 2007, 27,960 people have arrived in Yemen, crossing the Gulf of Aden in extremely dangerous conditions. At least 593 people have died in the crossing attempt and 659 have been reported missing.

More Information:

03 October 2007 — "Desperate Somalis on the wild sea to Yemen" at msf.org, by Ibrahim Younis, MSF Head of Mission, Yemen.