(CNN) -- One hundred twenty African refugees -- most of them fleeing war-torn Somalia -- were forced overboard at gunpoint off the coast of Yemen, leaving at least 26 dead and 20 missing, the United Nations' refugee agency said Wednesday.

A Somali refugee walks past the United Nations-donated tents at a refugee camp west of Aden.

Seventy-four survivors made it to the beach Tuesday and were taken to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees center in Ahwar, Yemen, according to UNHCR.

Some told the United Nations that they were waiting on their boat for a smaller vessel to take them ashore when the smugglers operating the boat forced them overboard.

Some were pushed and beaten, and others were shot and killed, for not complying, they said. The smaller boat never arrived, they said.

Heavy fighting in Somalia's capital and a widespread drought has led to a dramatic increase in Somalis making the sometimes deadly journey by sea to Yemen, according to UNHCR.

Nearly 26,000 refugees have arrived on Yemen's shores this year from the Horn of Africa -- almost three times the number of refugees to make the perilous journey across the Gulf of Aden last year, according to UNHCR.

Yemen is a common destination for Somalis fleeing economic hardship and war because of its proximity. It is also an attractive location because Somalis receive automatic refugee status in the fellow Muslim country.

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New smuggling routes, including some based out of Djibouti -- which lies north of Somalia and is much closer to Yemen -- have also led to the increase in refugees, according to the UNHCR.

Refugees pay as much as $150 to get to Yemen on small fastboats, while others pay between $50 and $70 for a ride on larger and much slower vessels, the agency said.

Earlier this year, Yemen's coast guard stepped up patrols of its coastline in an attempt to deter the smugglers. Some of the smuggling boats are seized by Yemen's coast guard and given to Somali fishermen who suffered losses in the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

As part of a $19 million operation, UNHCR operates shelters and reception centers for the refugees in Yemen and has increased its efforts to discourage people from making the illegal crossing to Yemen. It has also sponsored training programs for coast guard personnel and other officials.

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