At least 109 dead including 15 children after migrant boat capsizes off Djibouti near Obock

At least 109 people are dead including 15 children after a boat capsized off Djibouti near the port town of Obock on Thursday night.

The boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen when it went down, according to the International Organization for Migration. The BBC reported the vessel was carrying around 350 people, while Al Jazeera put the number at more than 300. More than 80 people were rescued. All of them were Ethiopian nationals. More than 116 remain missing.

Bodies recovered and burials underway

The bodies recovered include 52 men, 42 women, nine girls, and six boys. Burials are now underway. Local authorities are arranging them for those who died.

IOM assisting survivors at Obock centre

The IOM is providing assistance to 64 survivors at its response centre in Obock. The support includes healthcare. It also helps survivors restore contact with their families. The agency said it is working in close collaboration with local authorities to help migrants and prevent deaths at sea and on land.

Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti, called the event 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,” he said. “This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities,” Coissac said in a statement, adding: “Our teams are on the ground alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance.”

A deadly corridor between the Horn of Africa and Yemen

Migrants cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen on a route that measures just 20km at its narrowest point, and tens of thousands from the Horn of Africa make the journey each year seeking safety and work in Gulf countries. The IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix has recorded more than 20,000 movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti since 10 September alone. Last year, more than half a million people tried to move along this route into Yemen, according to the agency, an 18% increase in the number of people attempting the journey. More than 900 migrants died or went missing on the same route during that period.

Yemen remains engulfed in conflict, yet migrants still cross to the country despite the dangers. Fighting resumed last month between government forces and Houthi fighters, adding to the instability that has driven several thousand people to flee from Yemen to Djibouti. Djibouti is not only a departure point for migrants heading to Yemen, but also a refuge for those fleeing the renewed conflict. In March 2026, nine people were killed and 45 went missing after a similar incident on the same route.