Bound for Work in the Gulf, 109 Dead Off Djibouti
The boat was heading toward Yemen when it sank north of Obock, according to survivors. Fifteen children are among the dead, and search-and-rescue operations are continuing.
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by Sami Haddad
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At least 109 people died and more than 116 remain missing after a migrant boat capsized off Djibouti, the UN migration agency said, as authorities continued searching for survivors.
The boat was travelling toward Yemen when it went down during the night of October 8-9 near Guhere, north of the coastal town of Obock, according to survivors' accounts relayed by the International Organization for Migration, or IOM. Its October 11 statement put the number of survivors at more than 80.
Among the dead were 52 men, 42 women and 15 children. The children included nine girls and six boys. All those who survived were Ethiopian nationals, IOM said.
The sinking adds to repeated losses on a route used by people from the Horn of Africa hoping to reach Gulf countries through Yemen. More than 900 migrants died or went missing along the route in 2025, according to IOM. The sea crossing is only one stage of a journey that also exposes migrants to violence, detention and trafficking.
Alexandre Coissac, IOM's chief of mission in Djibouti, called the sinking "a devastating loss of life" and said the agency's teams were working alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance.
