At least 22 Ethiopian migrants have died and dozens more were injured after a lorry carrying them overturned in Semera town in Ethiopia’s Afar region. The accident on Tuesday morning highlights the dangers faced by individuals using irregular migration routes in search of employment abroad.
Authorities said the vehicle was transporting about 85 migrants along the eastern corridor when it tipped over. Many of the passengers suffered serious injuries and were rushed to nearby health facilities for urgent care.
Mohammed Ali Biedo, a senior official in the Afar region, confirmed that 65 people were injured, with 30 in critical condition. Rescue teams are working around the clock to help survivors and stabilize the most severely injured.
"The accident occurred when a lorry transporting migrants, misled by illegal brokers and unaware of the dangers of their journey, overturned," Biedo said in a statement.
The final destination of the migrants was not immediately confirmed, but the route is commonly used by Ethiopians travelling through Djibouti, crossing the Red Sea into Yemen, and onward to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries in search of work.
Yemen is a key transit point for migrants from the Horn of Africa seeking employment in the Middle East.
Following the crash, the Afar regional government said emergency operations were underway to save lives and provide medical assistance. Officials described the accident as horrific and urged communities to be cautious when considering migration through unsafe channels.
The government also cautioned young Ethiopians against falling prey to human trafficking networks, which promise jobs abroad but often put lives at risk. "We will ensure that the law enforcement work will continue with the concerned authorities to prevent such tragic events from repeating," the regional administration added.
The International Organization for Migration has highlighted the journey from Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea to Yemen as "one of the busiest and most perilous mixed migration routes."
Despite these dangers, more than 60,000 migrants reached Yemen in 2024, many hoping to continue to Saudi Arabia. The latest tragedy once again raises concern about the risks posed by irregular migration and trafficking networks in the region.
