Children among 139 dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says
Source: BBC At least 139 migrants including 15 children have died and dozens more are still missing after a boat sank off the coast of Djibouti, the UN’s migration office has said. The boat had been travelling from Djibouti to Yemen with 305 people aboard when it capsized near the port town of Obock on […]
At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, lost their lives and dozens more remain missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to the UN's migration office. The vessel, carrying 305 people, sank near the port town of Obock on Thursday night. Around 82 individuals were rescued, reported the International Organization for Migration (IOM). IOM's Djibouti mission chief, Alexandre Coissac, described the tragedy as a "stark reminder" of the risks migrants face in search of a better life.
The perilous journey is undertaken by tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa each year, aiming to reach Gulf countries for safety and employment. The IOM has revised its death toll from 109 to 139 after recovering an additional 30 bodies. Coissac expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life, emphasizing support for survivors and families who have lost loved ones or remain without news.
Local authorities are organizing burials for the deceased, while survivors—Ethiopian nationals—receive medical care and assistance. Yemen continues to endure a devastating civil war that has lasted over a decade, contributing to the migrants' resolve to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen. Since September 10, the IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix has documented over 20,000 individuals moving from Ethiopia to Djibouti.
The agency is providing aid to 64 survivors at its response center in Obock, including healthcare and support to reconnect with family members. The UN is collaborating closely with local authorities to prevent maritime and onshore fatalities. Over 900 migrants have died or gone missing on the same route in 2025, marking an 18% increase compared to the previous year. In March 2026, a similar incident resulted in nine deaths and 45 missing persons.
The conflict in Yemen has displaced more than 130,000 people within the country, while thousands of Yemenis have fled to Djibouti to escape the civil war between Houthi fighters and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. Djibouti, a small former French colony, lies just across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen.
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