Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Djibouti

At least 139 migrants including 15 children died after an overcrowded boat capsized off Djibouti on October 9, 2026.

84 Migrants Remain Missing

More than 80 people remain missing following the incident near Guhere, north of the fishing town of Obock, Djibouti, the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said, citing survivor accounts.

Boat Carrying 305 Migrants

The overcrowded boat was carrying about 305 people and capsized while sailing from Djibouti to Yemen during the night of October 8-9.

82 Survivors Are Ethiopians

Around 82 people survived the shipwreck, all of whom are Ethiopian nationals.

Migrant Deaths Breakdown

Among the bodies recovered after the boat capsized, 52 are men, 42 are women and 15 are children, including nine girls and six boys, the UN agency said.

IOM Provides Emergency Aid

IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti Alexandre Coissac said, 'Our teams are on the ground alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance.'

“Our teams are on the ground alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance”

Tragedy Reminds of Migration Dangers

The IOM said this tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities.

IOM Sets Up Response Center

The IOM is providing healthcare, psychosocial, food and other assistance at its migrant response centre in Obock.

Ethiopian and Djiboutian Governments

The Ethiopian and Djibouti governments have been approached for comment.

Search and Rescue Operations Continue

Djiboutian authorities are continuing search-and-rescue operations and local authorities are also providing medical care to survivors and arranging burials for the deceased.

Migrants Head to Yemen

The migrants were heading to Yemen, with the hope of eventually making it to wealthier Gulf nations, even as Yemeni nationals themselves flee their country, which is experiencing the most serious escalation in fighting between…

IOM Documents Heavy Migrant Traffic

An IOM official said that the UN agency had documented heavy migrant traffic along the so-called Eastern Route through Djibouti for several years.

Migrants Flee Ethiopia Due to Drought

Ethiopian migrants interviewed as part of the agency's most recent situation report on Djibouti from September 20 to September 30 said they had left their country due to difficult living conditions, including the impact of…

Migrants Flee Conflict in Ethiopia

Some migrants also reported that they were fleeing conflict and forced recruitment by armed forces, the report said.

Tigray Conflict Spreads

Multiple residents of Tigray, where fighting erupted on September 23, have said that they had seen Tigrayan rebels forcibly recruit young men into the defence forces.

Tigrayan Rebels Deny Forced Recruitment

The rebels have denied conducting forced recruitment.

Ethiopia and Eritrea Relations

The conflict has sparked fears of a return to all-out war with Ethiopia and Eritrea severing relations over alleged Eritrean support for the rebel alliance seeking to overthrow Ethiopia's government.

Eritrea Denies Support

Eritrea has denied backing the alliance.

Eastern Route Migration Path

The route from the Horn of Africa to the Arab Peninsula is used by hundreds of thousands of migrants a year, mainly Ethiopians and Somalis, making it one of the busiest migration paths in the…

Eastern Route Dangers

The so-called Eastern Route presents many dangers, forcing users to walk long distances in severe heat or travel on packed boats at the hands of smugglers.