Leo XIV expresses his deep pain for deceased migrants in a shipwreck in Yemen

In a new gesture of closeness to the victims of the forced migrations, Pope Leo XIV has expressed his “deep pain” for the wreck of a vessel off the coast of Yemen, in which at least 76 migrants died who were heading to Saudi Arabia. Most passengers were of Ethiopian nationality.

In a telegram, signed by the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pontiff entrusts “to the numerous migrants who have lost their lives to the love mercy of God Almighty.”

In the message, addressed to the Apostolic Nuncio in Yemen, Mons. Christophe Zakhia El-Kassis, the Pope also invokes “Divine Force, Consuelo and Hope for Survivors, emergency workers and all those affected by this tragedy.”

The tragedy occurred on the dangerous route through the Gulf of Adén, also known as “The Route of Death.” According to the International Organization for Migration (IIM), this journey is one of the most mortal points in the world, used by traffickers to transfer migrants to Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, in search of job opportunities.

Despite the extreme conditions and armed conflict that has been Asola Yemen for more than a decade – the poorest country of the Arabian Peninsula – thousands of people, especially of Ethiopia and Somalia, continue to risk their lives by this way. The IIM estimates that in the boat shipwrecked this August 3, 157 people were traveling, of which 76 were found lifeless, 32 survived and dozens are still missing.

Only in 2024, the IIM counted at least 558 deaths on the route that connects Yibuti with Yemen. However, many tragedies are not reported due to the lack of control and monitoring in conflict areas. In addition to shipwrecks, migrants face exploitation, sexual violence, forced labor and torture, often at the hands of criminal networks.