Scores of would-be African migrants die at sea

Scores of would-be African migrants die at sea

IRIN News - October 8, 2008

Efto Ali, an Oromo woman aged 20, was among 61 African migrants to make the perilous journey to Yemen from the Somali port of Bossaso a week ago. She said she experienced unforgettable hardship during the three-day boat journey that cost her US$100.

"I was hit by the smugglers when I vomited or moved slightly. They hit my arms with a cord. They killed three passengers for moving," she said.

The smugglers dumped the passengers about 100 metres off Bir Ali, a southern Yemeni village, causing two children to drown.

"It was 9pm when we made it to shore. We were in a miserable condition and had had nothing to eat or drink. We were woken by the sun’s rays," she said, explaining that a team from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) eventually took them to the Mafayaa reception centre in southern Yemen.

Efto now lives with a family in Sanaa city, Yemen's capital, where she said she would start a new life as a housemaid.

Efto is among hundreds of African migrants who have arrived in Yemen over the past few weeks. Scores died at sea in different incidents. Read More.