Children among 139 dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, lost their lives when a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to the UN's migration office. The vessel, carrying 305 people, capsized near the port town of Obock on Thursday night. Around 82 individuals were rescued by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Djibouti mission chief Alexandre Coissac described the tragedy as a "stark reminder" of the perils migrants face while seeking a new life elsewhere.

The organization initially reported 109 deaths, but revised the figure to 139 after recovering an additional 30 bodies. Coissac expressed his condolences to the survivors and their families, emphasizing the devastating loss of life. Local authorities are organizing burials, and survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, are receiving medical care.

Yemen continues to be plagued by a decade-long civil war, with migrants risking their lives crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for safety and work. Since September 10, the IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix has recorded over 20,000 movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti. The agency is providing assistance to 64 survivors at its response center in Obock, including healthcare and support to reconnect with their families.

The UN agency is collaborating closely with local authorities to prevent sea and land deaths. Over 900 migrants have lost their lives or gone missing attempting the same route in 2025, marking an 18% increase in the number of people making the journey. In March 2026, a similar incident resulted in nine deaths and 45 missing persons.

The civil war in Yemen has displaced more than 130,000 people within the country, and thousands of Yemenis have fled to Djibouti to escape the conflict.