52 Somalis Drown En Route to Yemen

At least 52 Somalis died last weekend when their broken boat capsized after drifting at sea for 18 days, the UN’s refugee agency said Sunday. According to UNHCR, the smuggler boat had left Somalia on September 3 with 124 passengers aboard, only to break down a few hours after departure. The boat’s crew then left in another craft, abandoning the desperate passengers. UNHCR says Yemeni coast guards managed to rescue 71 survivors as the boat neared the coast.[PE]