DJIBOUTI — In one of the deadliest maritime disasters in recent months, at least 139 migrants have lost their lives after their overcrowded boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti.
The United Nations’ International Organisation for Migration (IOM) confirmed the updated death toll on Sunday, revising earlier figures of 109 after recovery teams found the remains of 30 additional victims. Among the deceased are 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children, including nine girls and six boys. More than 80 individuals remain missing and are presumed dead, while over 80 survivors—all Ethiopian nationals—were rescued from the waters.
The vessel, carrying approximately 305 people, went down during the night of October 8–9 near Guhere, a coastal area north of the port town of Obock. The migrants were attempting the perilous sea crossing from the Horn of Africa to Yemen.
Djiboutian authorities, working alongside local officials and the IOM, have launched extensive search and rescue operations. Medical assistance is currently being provided to the traumatised survivors, while preparations are underway for the burial of the recovered victims.
“Our teams are on the ground alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance,” said Alexandre Coissac, the IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti. “This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities.”
A Perilous Route Amid Regional Instability
The crossing from the Horn of Africa toward the Arabian Peninsula remains a major, yet highly dangerous, migration route for individuals fleeing poverty and conflict in search of work in the Gulf states. Smugglers frequently pack hundreds of desperate people into unseaworthy and overcrowded vessels, leading to frequent catastrophes.
The disaster is further compounded by a volatile regional landscape marked by ongoing conflict and mass displacement. According to recent IOM data, renewed fighting in Yemen has driven internal displacement figures from 76,000 in mid-September to over 200,000. Furthermore, more than 3,700 people have fled the violence in Yemen by sea back to Djibouti.
Simultaneously, the Horn of Africa is grappling with its own crises. Recent escalations of violence in Ethiopia—the origin country for many of the migrants aboard the doomed vessel—have triggered significant internal displacement, marking the most severe outbreak of unrest in the region since the Tigray war.
The shipwreck off the coast of Obock serves as a grim testament to the escalating humanitarian crisis facing displaced populations forced to navigate treacherous waters in a region deeply scarred by conflict and economic instability.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen