Children among 109 dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says
The boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen with 350 people on board, when it capsized near the port town of Obock on Thursday night.
Children among 109 dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says
At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, have died and dozens more remain missing after a boat sank off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.
The vessel was carrying 350 people from Djibouti to Yemen when it overturned near the port town of Obock on Thursday night. The IOM said about 80 people were rescued.
Alexandre Coissac, head of the IOM mission in Djibouti, described the disaster as a "stark reminder" of the risks migrants face as they search for a new life elsewhere.
According to the UN agency, tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa make the dangerous trip each year in the hope of reaching Gulf countries for safety and work.
In a statement on Friday, the organisation said the recovered bodies included 52 men, 42 women, nine girls and six boys.
"This is a devastating loss of life," Coissac said.
"Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives," he added.
Local authorities are also arranging burials for those who died, while the survivors - all Ethiopian nationals - have medical care available to them.
Since 10 September, the IOM said its Displacement Tracking Matrix has recorded more than 20,000 "movements" from Ethiopia to Djibouti.
The IOM said it is helping 64 of the survivors at its response centre in Obock, including with healthcare and support to "restore contact with their families".
The UN agency added that it is working in "close collaboration" with local authorities to assist migrants and "prevent deaths at sea and on land".
According to IOM figures, more than 900 migrants died or went missing on the same route in 2025, alongside an 18% rise in the number of people trying to make the journey.
In March 2026, nine people were killed and 45 were missing after a similar incident.