139 Migrants, Including 15 Children, Dead After Boat Capsizes Off Djibouti

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died and dozens remain missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to the United Nations’ migration agency.

The boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen with 305 people on board when it capsized near the port town of Obock on Thursday night. Around 82 people were rescued, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.

Alexandre Coissac, head of IOM’s mission in Djibouti, described the tragedy as a stark reminder of the dangers migrants face while seeking a better life elsewhere.

Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa undertake the perilous journey each year in the hope of reaching Gulf countries in search of safety and employment, the agency said.

The IOM revised the death toll from 109 to 139 on Sunday after another 30 bodies were recovered.

“This is a devastating loss of life,” Coissac said. “Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives.”

Local authorities are arranging burials for those who died. The survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, have access to medical care.

Yemen continues to be engulfed in a devastating civil war that has lasted for more than a decade. Despite the conflict and growing instability across the wider region, migrants continue to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to reach Yemen. Many are driven by poverty, insecurity and the worsening effects of climate change.

Since 10 September, the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix has recorded more than 20,000 movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti. The agency said it was assisting 64 survivors at its response centre in Obock, providing healthcare and helping them restore contact with their families. The UN agency added that it was working closely with local authorities to support migrants and prevent deaths both at sea and on land.

According to IOM statistics, more than 900 migrants died or went missing while attempting the same route in 2025, as the number of people undertaking the journey increased by 18 per cent. In March 2026, a similar incident killed nine people and left another 45 missing.

The conflict in Yemen has also displaced more than 130,000 people within the country, according to the UN refugee agency last month. Thousands of Yemenis have fled to neighbouring Djibouti to escape the civil war between Houthi fighters and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.