In a new gesture of closeness to the victims of irregular migration, Pope Leo XIV expressed his “profound sorrow” for the sinking of a boat off the coast of Yemen in which at least 76 migrants on their way to Saudi Arabia died. Most of the passengers were Ethiopian nationals.

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In a telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pontiff entrusted “the many migrants who have lost their lives to the loving mercy of Almighty God.”

In the message, addressed to the apostolic nuncio in Yemen, Archbishop Christophe Zakhia El-Kassis, the pope also invoked “divine strength, consolation, and hope for the survivors, emergency workers, and all those affected by this tragedy.”

The tragedy occurred on the dangerous route through the Gulf of Aden, also known as “the route of death.” According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), this route is one of the deadliest crossings in the world, used by traffickers to transport migrants to Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, in search of job opportunities.

Despite the extreme conditions and the armed conflict that has ravaged Yemen — the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula — for more than a decade, thousands of people, especially from Ethiopia and Somalia, continue to risk their lives along this route. The IOM estimates that 157 people were traveling on the boat that sank on Aug. 3, of whom 76 were found dead, 32 survived, and dozens remain missing.

In 2024 alone, the IOM recorded at least 558 deaths on the route between Djibouti in East Africa and Yemen. However, many tragedies go unreported due to a lack of control and monitoring in conflict zones. In addition to shipwrecks, migrants face exploitation, sexual violence, forced labor, and torture, often at the hands of criminal networks.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.