Livestock Carrier Sinks, Two Missing

A livestock carrier sank in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday, killing thousands of animals and leaving two crew members unaccounted for.

The ship was sailing from Somalia to the UAE when it sank in rough weather. According to local authorities, 29 crew members were rescued by another vessel.

Live animal exports account for about 40 percent of Somalia’s gross domestic product. The nation exports millions of goats, sheep and camels annually.

The conflict in Yemen this year has halted animal exports from Somalia to Gulf countries due to security reasons, but Somalia and Egypt agreed to resume the trade in June.

In 2014, Somalia exported a record five million animals to markets in the Gulf of Arabia as a result of heavy investments in animal disease prevention which was backed by the European Union and the United Kingdom.