139 migrants dead, 84 missing after boat capsizes off Djibouti: IOM

At least 139 migrants have died after a boat capsized off Djibouti while travelling towards Yemen, with another 84 people still unaccounted for, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday. Search and recovery operations are continuing as authorities fear the death toll could rise further.

The tragedy occurred near Guehere, north of Obock, as the migrants attempted to cross towards Yemen during the night of October 8-9. The vessel had 305 people on board when it went down. The number of confirmed deaths rose from 109 to 139 following the recovery of 30 additional bodies, making it one of the deadliest recorded disasters along the Eastern Migration Route.

Djiboutian authorities are continuing efforts to locate the missing migrants. Around 82 people survived the incident, all of them Ethiopian nationals. Of the 109 bodies initially recovered, 52 were men, 42 were women and 15 were children, including nine girls and six boys.

IOM Director General Amy Pope said the tragedy highlighted the desperate circumstances driving people to undertake dangerous sea journeys. She urged governments and donors to expand safe and legal migration options to prevent further loss of life.

The agency is providing assistance to 64 survivors at its Migrant Response Centre in Obock. Support includes medical care, psychological assistance, protection services, temporary accommodation, food and help reconnecting survivors with their families.

Every year, tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa travel through Djibouti and cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen in the hope of reaching Gulf countries for employment, security and better living conditions. Despite the continuing violence in Yemen, the perilous journey remains a route for people seeking opportunities in the Gulf.

According to IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix, more than 20,000 incoming movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti were recorded between September 10 and the latest reporting period.

The agency's Missing Migrants Project recorded more than 900 deaths and disappearances along the route in 2025, when the number of people undertaking the journey rose by 18 per cent. Another shipwreck in March 2026 left nine migrants dead and 45 missing, underscoring the persistent dangers facing those travelling along the route.