A boat has capsized off the coast of Djibouti leaving at least 139 migrants dead and 84 missing, a United Nations agency has reported.
At least 15 children are among the dead, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The boat was carrying 305 people as it travelled from Djibouti to Yemen when it capsized near Guhere, north of Obock, on the night of 8 October, survivors told the IOM.
The agency described it as “one of the deadliest shipwrecks recorded” on the route.
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There were more than 80 survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, it added. The number of dead rose from 109 reported earlier after more bodies were recovered and search and rescue efforts are continuing.
“This is a devastating loss of life. Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives,” said Alexandre Coissac, the IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti.
“Our teams are on the ground alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities.”
Image:
Survivors were assisted by the International Organisation for Migration. Reuters pic
The IOM says it is assisting survivors at its Obock Migrant Response Centre while Djiboutian authorities continue search and rescue operations.
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Authorities inspected the shore after the tragedy. Pic: Reuters
Thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa travel through Djibouti, and cross the Bab el Mandeb Strait to Yemen in search of safety and employment, the IOM added.
The agency said that violence in Yemen has not deterred migrants, who can face violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, exploitation and trafficking in the country.
More than 900 migrants died, or went missing, along the route in 2025, according to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project.