At least 139 migrants dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says
The UN's IOM agency says tens of thousands of migrants travel from the Horn of Africa through Djibouti each year as they look to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen and eventually reach the Gulf countries.
A boat carrying 305 migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti, resulting in at least 139 deaths and 84 people still missing, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM). The incident occurred near Guhere, north of Obock, on the night of October 8-9. The death toll initially rose to 109 after 30 more bodies were recovered, with the victims comprising 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children, including nine girls and six boys. Over 80 survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, were rescued.
IOM chief of mission in Djibouti, Alexandre Coissac, expressed his condolences to the survivors and families who lost loved ones or remain without news about their relatives. The organization is providing emergency assistance on the ground alongside local authorities. This tragedy underscores the perilous journey migrants undertake along this migration route in search of economic opportunities.
Tens of thousands of migrants travel from the Horn of Africa to Djibouti annually, seeking passage to Yemen and eventually the Gulf countries. Factors such as poverty, insecurity, and the effects of climate change contribute to this migration. In March, another shipwreck off Djibouti claimed nine lives and left 45 others missing. Since September 10, more than 20,000 people have crossed into Djibouti from Ethiopia, as reported by IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix.
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