- Survivors indicated the vessel was transporting approximately 350 individuals when it capsized.
- Over 80 survivors, all of Ethiopian origin, were rescued from the wreckage.
Updated 10 min 2 sec ago
October 11, 2026 15:10
GENEVA: The UN migration agency reported that at least 109 migrants, including 15 children, lost their lives and another 116 remain missing after a boat sank off Djibouti’s coast during the night of October 8‑9.
Survivors told investigators that the craft, which had been carrying about 350 people from Djibouti bound for Yemen, overturned north of the town of Obock, according to a statement from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“This is a heartbreaking loss of life. Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families of those who have perished or are still unaccounted for,” said Alexandre Coissac, IOM chief of mission in Djibouti.
He added that IOM teams are working with Djiboutian authorities on the ground to deliver emergency assistance.
“This tragedy underscores the perils faced by migrants using this route in search of better livelihoods, as they attempt to cross the Bab al‑Mandab Strait toward Yemen and onward to Gulf nations,” the statement noted.
Of the 109 bodies recovered, 52 were men, 42 women and 15 children — nine girls and six boys.
More than 80 people survived the incident, all of whom are Ethiopian nationals.
“Poverty, insecurity and the escalating effects of climate change compel many to embark on this perilous journey, even as instability spreads across the Middle East,” the IOM said.