In brief
The family of Somali beauty-salon owner Fathi Hussein mourns her harrowing death at sea after being stranded for two weeks during a botched smuggling attempt to reach the French island of Mayotte. Survivors reported that she perished from hunger, leading to a desperate situation where her body was ultimately thrown into the ocean. This tragedy sheds light on the escalating dangers migrants face in desperate attempts to escape their circumstances.
The family of Fathi Hussein, a beauty-salon owner, is grappling with grief in Mogadishu, Somalia, following her tragic death at sea. Fathi, 26, sought to escape her current life by trusting smugglers to take her to Mayotte, a French island, but her journey turned fatal when she and other migrants were abandoned at sea. According to her stepsister Samira, Fathi was informed by survivors that she succumbed to hunger after being adrift in the Indian Ocean for approximately two weeks. Survivors recounted that Fathi initially resisted consuming raw fish and drinking seawater and began to hallucinate before her death. Afterward, her body was disposed of in the ocean. The Hussein family learned of her passing through fellow Somali migrants rescued by fishermen off the coast of Madagascar. The International Organization for Migration (IMO) reported that over 70 individuals were aboard the two vessels when they capsized, resulting in the loss of 24 lives, while only 48 survived.Fathi had embarked on her journey from Mogadishu to Mombasa, Kenya, before attempting the perilous sea crossing. Her family finds it perplexing that she chose to undertake such a dangerous endeavor, as she had a thriving business and a stable life. Samira reveals that Fathi had kept her plan secret except for sharing it with their younger sister, claiming she used her salon earnings to pay for the smuggling trip.According to survivors, smugglers misled them, claiming they would reach Mayotte within three hours. Instead, the trip extended to 14 days, leading to Fathi's death and a terrifying ordeal for the others. Some survivors suspect that the smugglers purposely stranded them, having already received payment. The IMO has noted that the number of migrants attempting to reach Mayotte has surged, with this year seeing a concerning rise in fatalities among those taking similar routes to the island. Khadar Mohamed, a previous migrant who reached Mayotte, recounted the harrowing journey filled with uncertainty and fear posed by groups like al-Shabab in Somalia.Reports indicate that the cost of the journey from Mombasa to Mayotte is around $6,000, raising concerns about the deceptive practices of smugglers, who often promise safe transit using larger vessels while instead relying on unsafe fishing boats. Somalia's Foreign Minister has stated that the government is reaching out to survivors while efforts to assist them are underway.Samira reflects on the agony of not knowing her sister’s thoughts during her final moments, expressing her wish to understand the decision that led Fathi to such a perilous fate. The Hussein family has reported a suspect involved in the smuggling operation, yet he has been released on bail, leaving the family in anguish over the unresolved circumstances of Fathi's passing.
