The search continues for 140 people who are still missing. The IOM said it was providing aid to 71 survivors, eight of whom were referred to hospital. Local authorities in Rudum, east of Aden, said that those on board were migrants, mostly from Ethiopia, who use Yemen as a transit point to reach Gulf states.

Hadi al-Khurma, the director of Rudum district, told Reuters news agency the boat sank before it reached the shore. Fishermen and residents managed to rescue survivors, who reported that more migrants were missing from the same boat, Mr al-Khurma said.

“The search is still ongoing and the United Nations has been informed of the incident,” he said. In a statement on Tuesday, IOM spokesman Mohammedali Abunajela said “this recent tragedy is another reminder of the urgent need to work together to address urgent migration challenges”.

His organisation, he added, remains committed to supporting survivors and improving search and rescue efforts in the region. According to the UN, 97,000 migrants arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa last year.

The increase has occurred despite the war in Yemen and recent Houthi assaults on ships in the Red Sea.