The number of migrants who died on the “Eastern Route” from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula doubled to a record high of 922 last year, the UN migration agency has said.
Tens of thousands of migrants from Ethiopia, Somalia, and neighbouring countries take the route across the Red Sea each year, mostly from Djibouti to Yemen, in search of work as labourers or domestic workers in wealthy Gulf countries.
“2025 was the deadliest year ever recorded on the Eastern migration route… with 922 people dead or missing — double the number from the previous year,” Tanja Pacifico, head of mission for the International Organisation for Migration in Djibouti, told AFP.
The majority of victims were from Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa with more than 130 million people, which is plagued by multiple internal conflicts and deep poverty.
“IOM remains fully committed to working alongside the government of Djibouti to promote safe and dignified migration pathways, in order to prevent further tragedies,” said Pacifico.
Many migrants who cross the Red Sea find themselves stuck in Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, which has been embroiled in a civil war for nearly a decade. Some even choose to return.
Rapid economic growth in Ethiopia — estimated to reach around 10 per cent in 2026 — could encourage less migration, according to IOM, but that is mitigated by high inflation, also around 10 per cent in February.
