Djibouti boat wreck leaves 139 migrants dead, 84 missing
Despite the conflict in the Middle East, the migrants aimed to cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Yemen before travelling on to Gulf countries.
A boat carrying 305 migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti, resulting in at least 139 deaths and 84 people remaining missing, according to a UN agency. The vessel was carrying mainly Ethiopian nationals and had departed from Djibouti to Yemen on October 8-9. Survivors recounted how the boat began to sink as soon as they boarded it.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) revised its initial toll from 109 dead and 116 missing to 139 dead and 84 missing after more bodies were recovered. IOM teams are working alongside Djiboutian authorities to provide emergency aid to the survivors and families of the deceased. Among the 109 bodies recovered were 15 children, aged from nine girls and six boys.
The IOM emphasized the dangers faced by migrants on this perilous journey from Ethiopia to Yemen and beyond to Gulf countries, driven by poverty, insecurity, and the impacts of climate change. Djiboutian authorities continue search and rescue operations as fears grow for the remaining missing migrants.
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- Djibouti boat wreck leaves 139 migrants dead, 84 missing freemalaysiatoday.com
- At least 139 dead, 84 missing as migrant boat capsizes off Djibouti island.lk
- Children among at least 139 dead after migrant boat capsizes off Djibouti coast cbc.ca
- At least 139 dead, 84 missing as migrant boat capsizes off Djibouti qatar-tribune.com
