Somalia: Illegal immigrants boat sinks off Yemeni coast, 35 missing
GAROWE, Somalia Feb 3, 2015 (Garowe Online)—At least 35 people went missing after a boat carrying 49 illegal immigrants sank off in the red sea according to Yemeni officials, Garowe Online reports.
Yemen navy rescued 13 immigrants including eight Ethiopians and five Somalis off the country's southern coast.The remaining illegal migrant's fate remains mysterious.
Gen. Saleh Al-Sabbari told Yemeni News Agency (SABA) that high winds forced the unseaworthy boat to capsize.
Illegal Somali and Ethiopian immigrants were trying to get to wealthy Gulf nations via restive Yemen.
Thousands of illegal immigrants cross the Red Sea into Yemen each year according to UN agency for Refugees.
Somalia has been without effective central government over the last two decades, with Islamist insurgents battling to topple UN-backed central government.
GAROWE ONLINE