139 migrants, including 15 children, drown in Djibouti boat tragedy

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, died when a boat sank off Djibouti’s coast, the UN’s migration office said on Thursday. The vessel, carrying 305 people, was bound for Yemen when it capsized near the port town of Obock late on Thursday night. About 82 survivors were rescued by local authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The tragedy highlights the perilous route many Horn of Africa migrants take each year to reach Gulf countries. They hope to escape poverty, insecurity and the effects of climate change. The journey across the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait is fraught with danger, and the IOM has recorded more than 20,000 movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti since September. In 2025, the same route claimed over 900 lives, a rise of 18% in the number of people attempting the crossing. Yemen, still engulfed in a decade‑long civil war, remains a destination for those seeking safety, even as the conflict has displaced more than 130,000 people.

IOM’s Djibouti mission chief, Alexandre Coissac, called the incident a “stark reminder” of the risks migrants face. He said the agency had revised its death toll from 109 to 139 after 30 more bodies were recovered. Local officials are arranging burials for the dead, while the 82 survivors— all Ethiopian nationals— received medical care in Obock. The IOM is offering support to 64 of the survivors, helping them reconnect with families and providing healthcare.

The incident underscores the urgent need for safer migration routes and stronger cooperation between UN agencies and local governments. The UN is working closely with Djiboutian authorities to prevent future deaths at sea and on land. As the region remains unstable, the IOM will continue to monitor movements and provide assistance to those caught in the dangerous journey from Ethiopia to Yemen.