A record number of migrants were killed or missing in the Red Sea, exceeding 900 during 2025

Reported The International Organization for Migration of the United Nations on Wednesday killed or went missing more than 900 migrants in The Red Sea during the year 2025, which made it "The deadliest year ever" on "Eastern road" Which connects the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula.

Every year, tens of thousands of migrants from Horn of Africa, mostly from Ethiopia and Somalia, this "Eastern road" In an attempt to reach the oil-rich Gulf countries, to escape conflicts, natural disasters and deteriorating economic conditions in their countries.

Most migrants begin crossing the sea from Djibouti.

Eastern Migration Route

The head of the International Organization for Migration mission, Tania Pacifico, told Agence France-Presse that "The year 2025 was the deadliest year ever on the eastern migration route, with the number of dead and missing reaching 922 people, double the number of victims of the previous year.".

She added "Most of the victims are from Ethiopia"

Ethiopia is the second largest country on the African continent in terms of population, with a population of about 130 million people. More than 40 percent of its population lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

The country is witnessing an armed conflict in the two largest Ethiopian regions in terms of population, and it is emerging from a bloody civil war in the Tigray region (north) that claimed the lives of more than 600,000 people between 2020 and 2022, according to African Union estimates, which many experts consider an underestimate.

Medicine shortage

A local official told AFP on Monday that about 1,300 people have died due to hunger or lack of medicine in camps for displaced people across Tigray since the end of the war.

According to the International Organization for Migration, Ethiopia’s expected economic growth is about 10 percent in 2026. "It may reduce some migration flows via the eastern route"However, inflation, which reached nearly 10% in February, "It is likely to undermine economic progress and exacerbate migration pressures"

Many of those who manage to cross the border find themselves stuck in Yemen, the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula, which has been suffering from civil war for nearly a decade, where they struggle to survive in harsh conditions. Some of them even choose to turn back.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter