At least 139 migrants dead after boat capsizes on Djibouti-Yemen route

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died after a boat carrying more than 300 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti while travelling towards Yemen according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM).

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died after a boat carrying more than 300 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti while travelling towards Yemen according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM). Around 84 people remain missing while approximately 82 survivors have been reported.

The overcrowded boat was carrying 305 people when it overturned near Guhere north of the port town of Obock during the night of October 8–9, 2026. The IOM reported the disaster on Sunday October 11 citing information provided by survivors.

Djiboutian authorities are continuing search and rescue operations. Meanwhile the IOM is working with local officials to provide emergency assistance medical treatment for survivors and burial arrangements for those who lost their lives.

Alexandre Coissac, the IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti described the incident as a tragic reminder of the serious dangers migrants face while travelling in search of better economic opportunities.

Many migrants particularly Ethiopians, travel through Djibouti to Yemen in the hope of eventually reaching wealthier Gulf countries. Despite ongoing violence in Yemen the migration route remains active.

Economic hardship, drought armed conflict and fears of forced recruitment are among the reasons people leave Ethiopia. The country has also seen new fighting, raising fears of a new wave of instability after the devastating 2020-2022 Tigray war.

According to the IOM, migrants continue using the Eastern Route despite changing security conditions in both Ethiopia and Yemen. The journey exposes them to multiple threats including deadly sea accidents, human trafficking and arbitrary detention.

The dangers along this migration corridor remain severe. The IOM’s Missing Migrants Project recorded more than 900 migrant deaths and disappearances along the Eastern Route in 2025 as the number of people undertaking the journey increased by 18 per cent.

Meanwhile, escalating violence in Yemen has contributed to a growing displacement crisis. Recent IOM figures indicate that displacement has increased from 76,000 to approximately 200,000 people.

The agency also reported that more than 3,700 people had travelled by sea from Yemen to Djibouti by the previous week.

The latest shipwreck highlights the urgent need for stronger migrant protection, effective search and rescue operations and safer migration pathways across the region. IIUI Gold Medalist Laiba Ejaz Case Highlights Alleged Overseas Education Fraud