At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died and around 116 went missing after a boat sank off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday.
The boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen when it capsized near Guhere, north of Obock, during the night of October 8–9, according to the IOM.
Of the 109 bodies recovered, 52 were men, 42 were women and 15 were children, including nine girls and six boys. More than 80 people survived the shipwreck, all of them Ethiopian nationals.
The IOM is assisting 64 survivors at its Obock Migrant Response Centre (MRC), providing healthcare, psychosocial assistance, protection services, temporary shelter, food assistance and support to help them reconnect with their families.
“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, IOM 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,” he added.
Djiboutian authorities are continuing search and rescue operations amid growing fears for those still missing. Local authorities are also providing medical care to survivors and arranging dignified burials for those who died.
Since September 10, the IOM detected more than 20,000 crossings to Djibouti from Ethiopia.
In 2025, more than 900 migrants died or went missing along the sea route to Yemen and the number attempting the journey increased by 18 percent, it said.
