At least 84 people remain missing after a boat carrying 305 migrants capsized en route to Yemen, the IOM says.
At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died and 84 remain missing after a boat carrying 305 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.
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The shipwreck occurred overnight on Oct. 8-9 near Guhere, north of the fishing town of Obock, as the vessel headed toward Yemen. The IOM described it as one of the deadliest maritime disasters recorded in the Horn of Africa.
Only 82 people survived, all of them Ethiopian nationals, according to the agency. Local authorities are continuing search-and-rescue operations while arranging burials for those who died and providing initial medical care to survivors.
The death toll from the #Djibouti shipwreck has risen to 139, with 84 people still missing.
As search and recovery efforts continue, IOM is providing emergency assistance to survivors.
Every life lost is one too many.
Read the latest updates here: https://t.co/LJjeAtSer2 pic.twitter.com/VXfiv3TeFA
— IOM – UN Migration 🇺🇳 (@UNmigration) October 11, 2026
The IOM is providing emergency assistance at its Migrant Response Centre in Obock, including medical care, psychosocial support, food and basic supplies for 64 survivors.
“This is a devastating loss of life. Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or are still waiting to hear from their relatives,” said Alexandre Coissac, the IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti.
The crossing from Djibouti to the Arabian Peninsula is part of the Eastern Route, one of the world’s busiest and most dangerous migration corridors. Hundreds of thousands of migrants, primarily from Ethiopia and Somalia, undertake the journey each year to escape armed conflict and natural disasters or seek economic opportunities in Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia.
Along the way, they face extreme conditions, from long walks in scorching temperatures to overcrowded, unseaworthy boats operated by human-smuggling networks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
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