At least 22 Ethiopian migrants have been killed and 65 others injured after a lorry carrying them overturned in Ethiopia’s north-eastern Afar region, local authorities have said.
The accident occurred on Tuesday morning in the town of Semera, where around 85 migrants were travelling along the eastern migration route, according to a statement from senior Afar official Mohammed Ali Biedo. The route typically runs from Ethiopia through Djibouti, across the Red Sea to Yemen, and onward to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries.
Officials said 30 of the injured are in critical condition and are receiving emergency medical treatment. The Afar regional government described the incident as “horrific” and said all necessary life-saving operations were underway.
Biedo said the crash involved a lorry transporting migrants who had been misled by illegal brokers and were unaware of the dangers associated with the journey.
Regional authorities warned young Ethiopians against the risks of human trafficking driven by false promises of employment abroad, adding that law enforcement efforts would be strengthened to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has described the Horn of Africa Yemen route as one of the world’s busiest and most dangerous migration corridors. Despite the risks, more than 60,000 migrants arrived in Yemen in 2024 alone, many hoping to reach Saudi Arabia in search of work.
