At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, died after the boat\nthey were travelling in sank on its way from Djibouti to Yemen. Another\n84 people were reported missing after the accident, which occurred on\nthe night of 8\u20139 October local time.<\/p>\n
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a\nstatement on Sunday (11 October 2026) that the overcrowded boat was\ncarrying 305 people, most of them Ethiopian nationals. It capsized in\nwaters north of Obock, a city in Djibouti.<\/p>\n
Alexandre Coissac, head of the IOM mission in Djibouti, said\nsurvivors had reported that the boat began sinking soon after they\nboarded.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurvivors told me the boat began sinking stern-first as soon as they\ngot on board,\u201d Coissac told AFP.<\/p>\n
In an earlier statement, he described the incident as a major tragedy\nthat had claimed many lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a devastating loss of life,\u201d he said. \u201cOur thoughts are with\nthe survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or are still\nwaiting for news of their relatives.\u201d<\/p>\n
The IOM initially reported 109 deaths and 116 people missing. The\ndeath toll was later revised to 139 after more bodies were recovered,\nwhile the number missing was adjusted to 84.<\/p>\n
Coissac said IOM teams were at the scene with Djiboutian authorities\nto provide emergency assistance. The tragedy, he said, once again\ndemonstrated the risks migrants face on this route as they seek better\nlivelihoods.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers migrants face along\nthis migration route as they seek economic opportunities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Migrants typically cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Yemen before\ncontinuing to Gulf countries. Coissac said he had also spoken with a\nsurvivor from the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, which has again\nbeen affected by violence in the conflict between rebel groups and\nEthiopia\u2019s federal government.<\/p>\n
Of the 109 bodies initially recovered, 52 were men, 42 women and 15\nchildren\u2014nine girls and six boys. According to the latest figures, 82\npeople survived the accident. All the survivors were Ethiopian\nnationals.<\/p>\n
The IOM said poverty, insecurity and the increasingly severe effects\nof climate change were among the factors pushing people to risk the\ndangerous journey, despite growing instability in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
The IOM is providing assistance to 64 survivors at a migrant shelter\nin Obock. Djiboutian authorities are continuing search-and-rescue\noperations amid fears for those still unaccounted for.<\/p>\n
The organisation described the incident as one of the deadliest\nshipwrecks ever recorded on the migration route to Yemen.<\/p>\n
IOM spokesperson Kennedy Omondi Okoth told AFP that about 178,000\npeople had arrived in Djibouti from Ethiopia between January and October\nthis year. Since 10 September alone, the IOM has recorded more than\n20,000 crossings from Ethiopia to Djibouti, despite escalating conflict\nin Yemen.<\/p>\n
Yemen remains embroiled in fighting between the Saudi-backed\ngovernment and the Houthi rebels, who are supported by Tehran. The\nHouthis have also become involved in the regional conflict pitting the\nUnited States and its allies against Iran.<\/p>\n
Coissac said about 150 people on the ill-fated boat had previously\nbeen returned from Yemen. Nevertheless, they had tried to cross the same\nroute again.<\/p>\n
Most people making the sea journey to Yemen come from Ethiopia and\nSomalia, Okoth said. Many eventually become stranded in Djibouti, with\nno certainty about how they can continue their journey.<\/p>\n
In 2025, more than 900 migrants were reported dead or missing along\nthe sea route to Yemen. The number of people attempting the journey also\nrose by 18% compared with the previous period. A shipwreck in March 2026\nkilled nine people and left another 45 missing.<\/p>\n
IOM Director-General Amy Pope said people would not board such a\ndangerous vessel if they believed they had another, safer option.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one gets on a boat like this unless they believe there is no\nother safe way,\u201d Pope said in a statement. \u201cWe cannot continue to treat\nthese deaths as normal. Safe and legal migration pathways save lives. I\nurge governments and donors to act before the next boat sinks.\u201d<\/p>\n
The IOM called on donors and partners to increase support for\nmigration response efforts in Djibouti, including search-and-rescue\noperations and emergency life-saving assistance.<\/p>\n
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf also\nexpressed sorrow over the high death toll and stressed the need for\nurgent action to address the underlying causes of irregular\nmigration.<\/p>\n
Youssouf called for efforts to \u201caddress the root causes of irregular\nmigration, combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking, and promote\nsafe, orderly and regular migration\u201d.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/boat-carrying-305-people-sinks-killing-139-84-still-missing-1791787899", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }