Yemen : At Least 109 Migrants Dead, 116 Missing After Boat Capsizes Off Djibouti Coast
- 2026-10-13
- 13:37:16
DJIBOUTI – At least 109 migrants have died and 116 others remain missing after a boat carrying hundreds of people capsized off the coast of Djibouti, highlighting the persistent dangers faced by migrants undertaking perilous sea journeys across the region.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the vessel overturned near Gouhery, north of Obock, on Thursday evening while transporting around 350 migrants from Djibouti to Yemen. The route runs counter to the path traditionally taken by thousands of Yemenis fleeing their country's prolonged conflict.
The IOM said the tragedy claimed the lives of 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children, underscoring the heavy human toll of irregular migration across the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
More than 80 people survived the accident, while search and rescue efforts have continued in an attempt to locate those still unaccounted for.
The incident is among the deadliest migrant boat disasters recorded in the region in recent years and has renewed concerns over the risks faced by vulnerable migrants who rely on overcrowded and often unsafe vessels operated by smuggling networks.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that conflict, poverty, and limited economic opportunities continue to drive thousands of people to undertake dangerous journeys through one of the world's busiest migration corridors.