Djibouti Migrant Boat Capsize Kills at Least 139, Including 15 Children

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, died after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti while heading to Yemen, the International Organization for Migration said on Sunday, October 11, 2026. Another 84 people remain missing. The toll rose from an earlier count of 109 after additional bodies were recovered.

The vessel carried 305 people and sank near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock, during the night of October 8-9. Survivors told IOM teams the boat was bound for Yemen. Around 82 people survived. All confirmed survivors are Ethiopian nationals. Djiboutian authorities continue search and recovery operations.

Among the bodies recovered in the initial count were 52 men, 42 women and 15 children, nine girls and six boys. IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti Alexandre Coissac called the loss devastating. "This is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities," he said. IOM Director General Amy Pope said no one boards such a boat unless they believe there is no other safe way.

IOM is assisting survivors at its Migrant Response Centre in Obock with medical care, psychosocial support, food, shelter and help contacting families. Local authorities are arranging burials. Some bodies were buried by migrants themselves and will be added to the official count only after verification.

The route from the Horn of Africa through Djibouti across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen is one of the busiest and deadliest migration corridors. Tens of thousands of people attempt the crossing each year, many hoping to reach Gulf countries for work. IOM recorded more than 20,000 incoming movements to Djibouti from Ethiopia since mid-September. Last year more than half a million people tried the route into Yemen, and at least 900 died or went missing.

Poverty, insecurity and climate pressures drive the journeys. Many of the migrants come from Ethiopia. The boat was overcrowded. Personal items, including shoes, washed up on beaches near Obock, according to images released by IOM.

This is one of the deadliest shipwrecks recorded on the Eastern Route. IOM has repeatedly called for more safe and legal pathways. "We cannot keep treating these deaths as normal," Pope said. "Safe and legal pathways save lives."

Djiboutian search teams remain active. The full number of dead may rise further as more bodies are located and identified. Survivors are receiving care while families wait for news of those still missing. The incident adds to a long list of tragedies on a route where small boats routinely carry hundreds of people across open water with little protection.

For the Ethiopian survivors now in Obock, the immediate needs are medical attention and contact with relatives. For the broader migration system, the numbers underline the scale of movement and the consistent risk of mass loss of life when vessels fail. IOM continues to work with Djiboutian authorities on recovery and assistance while urging governments to expand regular migration options.