Geneva: The death toll in a migrant boat capsizing off the coast of Djibouti has risen to 139, with 84 people still missing, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said, as search and rescue operations continued following one of the deadliest shipwrecks recorded along the Eastern Migration Route.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the UN migration agency said that the toll rose from 109 to 139 after 30 additional bodies were recovered.
The boat was carrying 305 people from Djibouti towards Yemen when it capsized near Guehere, north of Obock in Djibouti, on the intervening night of October 8 and October 9.
About 82 people survived the disaster, while Djiboutian authorities continued search and recovery operations amid growing fears for those still missing.
IOM Director General Amy Pope called for urgent action to prevent further migrant deaths and urged governments and donors to expand safe and legal migration options.
"No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way," said IOM Director General Amy Pope.
"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," she added.
The IOM said it was providing emergency assistance to survivors at its Migrant Response Centre in Obock, including healthcare, psychosocial support, food, shelter and protection services.
The latest tragedy has once again highlighted the dangers faced by migrants travelling along the Eastern Route, which sees tens of thousands of people from the Horn of Africa pass through Djibouti each year in an attempt to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into Yemen and eventually reach Gulf countries in search of employment, security and stability.
Poverty, regional insecurity and the growing effects of climate change continue to drive people towards the perilous journey, despite the significant risks associated with crossing the sea and the dangers awaiting migrants in Yemen.
According to the IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix, more than 20,000 incoming migrant movements from Ethiopia into Djibouti have been recorded since September 10 alone, underscoring the continued scale of migration along the corridor.
Migrants who reach Yemen face further risks, including violence, arbitrary arrest, detention, exploitation and human trafficking, adding to the humanitarian challenges in the country.
Fatalities and disappearances along the route have continued to mount. The IOM's Missing Migrants Project recorded more than 900 migrant deaths or disappearances along the corridor in 2025, as the overall volume of journeys increased by 18 per cent.
In March 2026, another shipwreck off the coast left nine people dead and 45 missing, highlighting the recurring dangers of the sea crossing.
The IOM said it was working closely with Djiboutian authorities to support rescue operations and prevent migrant deaths on land and at sea. However, the agency warned that expanding humanitarian needs were outstripping the limited funding available.
The organisation called on international donors and partners to urgently strengthen support for Djibouti's search and rescue response and pressed for expanded safe migration pathways to reduce the risks faced by people undertaking these dangerous journeys.