Boat capsize off Yemen kills 18

At least 18 people have drowned and 29 are missing after a boat carrying illegal migrants sank in the Gulf of Aden, the UN's refugee agency has said.

The boat, carrying 88 people, set sail for Yemen from Somalia on 11 June, before it hit heavy weather on Monday.

The UNHCR said 24 people made it to land but more bodies are expected to be washed ashore in the coming days.

Hundreds of Africans drown each year as they try to reach Yemen in crowded and often unseaworthy boats.

The UNHCR said those attempting to make the crossing are "fleeing desperate situations of civil war, political instability, poverty and famine in Somalia and the Horn of Africa".

It estimates that 146 people have drowned while attempting the crossing to Yemen so far this year, while 25,764 have arrived safely.

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