At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died after a boat carrying 305 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to the United Nations’ migration agency. Dozens of people remain missing.

The boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen when it overturned near the port town of Obock on Thursday night. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said around 82 people had been rescued.

The death toll was revised upwards from 109 after 30 additional bodies were recovered.

Alexandre Coissac, head of the IOM mission in Djibouti, described the incident as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach other countries in search of safety and a better life.

“This is a devastating loss of life,” he said, expressing concern for survivors and families still waiting for news of missing relatives.

Authorities are arranging burials for those who died, while the survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, are receiving medical assistance. The IOM said it was providing healthcare and helping survivors reconnect with their families at its response centre in Obock.

 

Dangerous migration route

Every year, tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa undertake the dangerous journey across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait towards Yemen and Gulf countries, often driven by poverty, insecurity and the effects of climate change.

The journey remains perilous despite Yemen’s more than decade-long civil war and continuing instability across the region.

The IOM reported that its tracking system had recorded more than 20,000 movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti since September 10.

In 2025, more than 900 migrants died or went missing along the same route, as the number attempting the journey increased by 18%, according to the agency.

A similar incident in March 2026 left nine people dead and 45 missing.

Yemen’s conflict has also displaced more than 130,000 people within the country, according to the UN refugee agency. Thousands of Yemenis have also fled to Djibouti to escape the fighting between Houthi forces and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

The IOM says it is working with local authorities to assist migrants and prevent further deaths at sea and on land.