At Least 139 Migrants Die as Overcrowded Boat Capsizes Off Djibouti

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, died after an overcrowded boat carrying 305 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration said. The death toll rose from an initial 109 after additional bodies were recovered. Around 84 people remain missing. Approximately 82 survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, were rescued.

The boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen when it went down near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock, on the night of 8-9 October. Survivors told IOM officials that the vessel began to sink almost as soon as they boarded, mainly because it was overcrowded. Local authorities continued search and recovery operations while arranging burials. Many of the dead were buried in a common grave.

Among the first 109 bodies recovered were 52 men, 42 women and 15 children, nine of them girls and six boys. IOM is providing healthcare, psychosocial support, food, shelter and protection services to survivors at its migrant response centre in Obock. Djiboutian authorities are assisting with medical care.

Alexandre Coissac, IOM chief of mission in Djibouti, called the incident a devastating loss of life and a stark reminder of the dangers on the route. IOM Director General Amy Pope said no one boards such a boat unless they believe there is no other safe way, and urged governments and donors to expand legal pathways before the next vessel goes down.

Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa, mainly Ethiopians and Somalis, attempt the crossing each year toward Gulf countries in search of work or to escape conflict and hardship. The eastern route across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is one of the world's busiest and most dangerous. Overcrowded smugglers' boats regularly capsize. Earlier this year IOM recorded 178,000 arrivals in Djibouti from Ethiopia between January and October.

The wreck is among the deadliest recorded on the corridor. Personal items belonging to the migrants were found on beaches near the site. The absence of safe legal channels continues to push people onto unseaworthy vessels. Search operations remain active for those still missing, and the final toll could rise further once more bodies are recovered and identified.

The survivors are receiving emergency assistance. Families of the missing have little immediate information. The pattern of repeated large-scale losses on this specific route has not produced major changes in either enforcement against smugglers or the creation of regulated alternatives for those determined to reach the Arabian Peninsula.