At least 139 migrants died and 84 others remain missing after an overcrowded vessel capsized off the coast of Djibouti. The UN migration agency reported that the boat was carrying 305 people toward Yemen when it sank during the night of October 8-9, marking one of the deadliest maritime disasters on the eastern migration route.
The disaster unfolded in the Gulf of Aden near Guhere, north of the coastal town of Obock during the night of 8-9 October when the vessel was traveling from Djibouti to Yemen carrying 305 people. Survivors recounted that the boat began to founder immediately after boarding.
According to Alexandre Coissac, IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti, survivors described how the vessel began to sink backwards as soon as they stepped onto it, largely because it was severely overcrowded. IOM teams on the ground worked alongside Djiboutian authorities to provide emergency aid, distributing food, shelter, psychosocial support, and healthcare.
The International Organization for Migration initially recorded 109 fatalities, but the count revised upward to 139 dead and 84 missing after rescue crews recovered additional bodies. Among the initial bodies recovered were 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children comprising nine girls and six boys. A total of 82 people survived the sinking, with the agency confirming that all survivors were Ethiopian nationals.
Search Operations and Burial Conditions in Obock
Djiboutian authorities continued search and rescue operations as fears grew for those still missing. The official death toll reflects only those victims who have been officially buried by authorities in Djibouti according to the IOM, as some victims were interred by fellow migrants without formal documentation.
Those unofficial burials remain excluded from the formal toll until officials can verify the bodies. Describing the grim reality of the initial interments, Coissac noted that victims were laid to rest without identifying markers in a common grave.
“What is terrible is that they were buried with no names, in a common grave, like in a war situation. They all have a mother, a father, and we may never learn what happened.”
Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti
The IOM established support operations for survivors at its migrant response center in Obock providing healthcare, psychosocial care, food, and shelter to those who swallowed seawater and arrived in severe shock.
Safiza Ibrahim, a senior protection assistant with the IOM, noted that men, women, and children were on board and warned that the preliminary death toll was particularly high and could rise further while search operations remained underway. Jose Barahona, the UN Resident Coordinator in Djibouti, expressed deep sadness over the loss of life, offering thoughts to the victims, survivors, and families waiting for news.
Dangers of the Eastern Migration Route Toward Yemen
The maritime corridor connecting the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula serves as a primary pathway for migrants seeking economic opportunities in wealthy Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia. Economic hardship, violence, and climate shocks push travelers to make the crossing despite active conflict across Yemen where Saudi-backed government forces and Iran-aligned Houthi rebels contend for strategic coastal territory.
The route persists despite severe regional instability. The IOM tracked more than 20,000 movements into Djibouti from Ethiopia since September 10. Among those aboard the capsized vessel, approximately 150 individuals had previously been turned back from Yemen but chose to attempt the perilous sea crossing a second time according to IOM mission leadership.
Fighting between Houthi rebels and government forces has driven over 3,800 people to cross into Djibouti to seek protection according to the country’s Office for Assistance to Refugees and Disaster Victims (Onars).
International Calls for Safe Migration Pathways
The tragedy highlights mounting casualties along maritime smuggling lanes, where over 900 migrants died or went missing during 2025 according to the organization’s missing migrants project. A separate shipwreck in March 2026 resulted in nine deaths and 45 missing persons along the same corridor.
Condemning the regular loss of life on irregular routes, IOM Director General Amy Pope urged international intervention before subsequent disasters occur.
“No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way, We cannot keep treating these deaths as normal. Safe and legal pathways save lives. I am asking governments and donors to act before the next boat goes down.”
Amy Pope, IOM Director General
Will international donors and governments heed the appeal to bolster Djibouti’s emergency response and fund safe pathways before the next vessel attempts the crossing?
