At least 139 migrants, including at least 15 children, died and about 84 were missing after a boat carrying more than 300 people capsized while sailing from Djibouti to Yemen, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday.
The boat, which carried 305 people, capsized near Guhere, north of Obock — a port city in Djibouti — during the night of 8 to 9 October, the IOM said, citing survivor accounts.
About 82 people survived the sinking, according to the statement. An Ethiopian government spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Photographs shared by the UN agency showed worn sandals and sneakers washed ashore by the tide.
“Our teams are on the ground, together with local authorities, to provide emergency assistance,” said Alexandre Coissac, head of the IOM mission in Djibouti.
“This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migratory corridor as they seek economic opportunities,” declared Coissac.
Djibouti authorities continue search and rescue operations, the IOM statement said, adding that local authorities are also providing medical care to the survivors and arranging the burial of the deceased.
The Djibouti government could not be reached immediately for comment.
The migrants were bound for Yemen, hoping to eventually reach the Gulf’s wealthier countries, even as Yemeni citizens themselves flee their country, which is experiencing the most severe escalation of fighting between government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and Iran-aligned Houthi fighters since the UN-brokered truce in 2022.
“Despite the violence in Yemen, migrants continue to undertake these dangerous journeys in the hope of reaching Gulf countries,” the IOM statement said.
