IOM Reports 139 Migrant Deaths After Djibouti Boat Wreck

Rescue teams in Djibouti are searching for missing migrants after a boat carrying 305 Ethiopian nationals sank during the night of 8-9 October, leaving at least 139 dead as survivors awaited assistance after the crossing toward Yemen.

The International Organization for Migration said Sunday that 30 additional bodies were recovered, raising the death toll from the wreck north of Obock to 139. More than 80 people survived the sinking, according to the agency.

The IOM said the first 109 recovered bodies included 52 men, 42 women and 15 children, consisting of nine girls and six boys. The agency is supporting 64 survivors at a migrant center in Obock.

Alexandre Coissac, IOM chief of mission in Djibouti, described the incident as a major loss and said the agency was working with local authorities to provide emergency support.

"This is a devastating loss of life. Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives," said Alexandre Coissac, IOM chief of mission in Djibouti.

IOM teams were deployed alongside Djiboutian authorities following the sinking, while search operations continued for people still missing after the vessel capsized.

"This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities" said Alexandre Coissac, IOM chief of mission in Djibouti.

The crossing route takes migrants through the Bab el Mandeb Strait from Djibouti to Yemen, with many attempting to continue toward Gulf countries despite instability in the region.

The IOM said poverty, insecurity and climate change impacts are among the factors driving migration from Ethiopia, while the agency recorded 178,000 arrivals in Djibouti from Ethiopia between January and October 2026.

"Poverty, insecurity and the growing impacts of climate change drive many to undertake this journey, despite mounting instability across the Middle East," said the International Organization for Migration.

The IOM said more than 900 migrants died or went missing on the sea route to Yemen in 2025, while attempts to make the journey increased by 18 percent.

"Djiboutian authorities are continuing search and rescue operations as fears grow for those still missing." said the International Organization for Migration.

The agency said previous incidents included a March 2026 shipwreck that killed nine people and left 45 missing. IOM spokesman Kennedy Omondi Okoth said many migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia become stranded in Djibouti.

"Donors and partners to strengthen support for Djibouti's response, including search and rescue operations and life-saving assistance" said the International Organization for Migration.