109 killed and more than 116 people missing as a migrant boat sank off the coast of Djibouti

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At least 109 migrants were killed, including 15 children, and more than 116 others were missing, after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti carrying 350 people, the United Nations International Organization for Migration announced on Sunday.

“This is a tragic loss of life,” said Alexander Koassak, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti. “Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or who still have no news of their relatives.”

He added: “Our teams are on the ground alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the risks migrants face along this migration route as they seek economic opportunities.”

According to survivors, the boat was on its way from Djibouti to Yemen when it capsized near Guhere, north of Obock, during the night of October 8-9.

Of the 109 bodies recovered, there are 52 men, 42 women and 15 children (nine girls and six boys). More than 80 people survived the accident, all of whom hold Ethiopian citizenship.

IOM is assisting 64 survivors at its Migrant Response Center (MRC) in Obock, providing health care, psychosocial support, protection services, temporary shelter, food assistance, and support to reconnect with their families.

The Djiboutian authorities continue search and rescue operations amid growing concerns about the fate of the missing people. Local authorities also provide medical care to survivors and arrange proper burials for the victims of the accident.

Every year, tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa travel through Djibouti and cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into Yemen, hoping to reach the Gulf states in search of safety, stability and job opportunities.

Factors such as poverty, insecurity and the increasing effects of climate change are pushing many to make this journey, despite increasing instability across the Middle East.

Despite the violence in Yemen, migrants are still making these dangerous journeys, hoping to reach the Gulf countries.

Since September 10, IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix has monitored more than 20,000 arrivals in Djibouti from Ethiopia.