139 migrants die as overcrowded boat capsizes off Djibouti

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died after an overcrowded boat carrying more than 300 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti while travelling towards Yemen, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The United Nations migration agency said 84 people remained missing after the disaster, which occurred during the night of October 8–9 near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock.

The vessel was carrying 305 people, most of them Ethiopian nationals, when it capsized. More than 80 people survived, all of them Ethiopians, the IOM said.

The death toll included 52 men, 42 women and 15 children, comprising nine girls and six boys. The agency warned that the number could change as search and recovery operations continued and authorities worked to establish the identities of those who died.

The boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen across the Gulf of Aden, a route frequently used by migrants from the Horn of Africa seeking employment and better economic opportunities in Gulf countries.

Alexandre Coissac, the IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti, said the agency’s teams were working alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance to survivors.

The survivors were being taken to a migrant response centre in Obock, where they could receive medical treatment and psychological support following the traumatic experience.

The incident is among the deadliest recorded shipwrecks along the migration corridor linking the Horn of Africa with the Arabian Peninsula.

Thousands of migrants make the journey each year, despite the dangers associated with overcrowded vessels, unpredictable sea conditions and limited access to safe transport.

ALSO READ: Ebola deaths hit 4,242, cases rise to 8,787 in DR Congo — WHO

The crossing has continued amid worsening insecurity in Yemen, where fighting between the Saudi-backed internationally recognised government and Iran-backed Houthi rebels has intensified.

The IOM has repeatedly warned that migrants travelling along the route face serious risks, including drowning, exploitation and violence. The agency has also called on governments and international donors to expand safe and legal migration pathways.

The latest tragedy has renewed concerns about the conditions in which migrants undertake the journey and the difficulties authorities face in responding to large-scale maritime disasters.

Rescue and recovery efforts were continuing as authorities sought information about those still missing and worked to support survivors and the families of victims.

The IOM said the disaster highlighted the urgent need for coordinated action to prevent further loss of life along one of the region’s most dangerous migration routes.

(Reuters)