Many Somalis have been trying to make the trip from Somalia to Yemen recently, in search of a better life. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has been trying to educate the Somalis on the risks involved through radio, they still believe that the freedom and relief from violence they will receive would outweigh the risks. About 135 of 150 people making the trip last week were thrown overboard by smugglers and forced to swim 5 kilometers to land. Only about 47 people made it back on land and the rest are missing. We can assume they are dead in what is becoming a more and more common occurrence. Dozens of bodies have been washed ashore and were buried immediately.
The Gulf of Aden are becoming some of the most dangerous waters in the world due to piracy. This year, about 23,000 migrants have attempted to reach Yemen (a number which has doubled since the previous year), and about 600 of them either died or went missing.
This is obviously a sad situation and easy to criticize these Somalis for their taking in the voyage, but can we really blame them?
