Migrant boat capsizes off Djibouti, killing at least 109 including 15 children
A boat carrying migrants from Ethiopia toward Yemen capsized near the port town of Obock, Djibouti, on Thursday night. The UN's International Organization for Migration said at least 109 people died, including 15 children, with dozens more missing and around 80 rescued. The IOM later revised the toll to 139 after recovering 30 more bodies. Survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, are receiving medical care. The Horn of Africa-to-Yemen route is among the world's deadliest migration corridors.
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139 migrants, including children, die after boat capsizes off Djibouti
At least 139 migrants, including children, died after a boat traveling from Djibouti to Yemen capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to UN agencies and multiple news reports. The UN News report said the death toll rose to 139, with 84 people still missing. CBS News reported that 15 children were among the dead. Reuters, citing a UN agency, confirmed at least 139 migrants died, including some children. CNN reported the toll was feared to rise. The incident highlights the dangers of the migration route between the Horn of Africa and Yemen.
Read sourceOver 100 Migrants Dead After Boat Capsizes Near Djibouti
At least 139 migrants have died and 84 remain missing after an overcrowded boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to UN agencies. The vessel was reportedly traveling from Djibouti to Yemen when the incident occurred. Among the dead are children, the BBC reported, citing the United Nations. The New York Times initially reported over 100 deaths, while Fox News, Reuters, and Al Jazeera cited the higher toll of at least 139 dead. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, though the exact circumstances of the capsizing remain under investigation. The tragedy highlights the perilous migration routes between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Read sourceChildren among 139 dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says
A boat carrying 305 migrants from Djibouti to Yemen capsized near the port town of Obock on Thursday night, killing at least 139 people, including 15 children, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM). Around 82 people were rescued, and dozens remain missing. IOM's Djibouti mission chief Alexandre Coissac called the tragedy a "stark reminder" of the dangers migrants face. The IOM revised its death toll from 109 after recovering 30 more bodies. Survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, are receiving medical care, and local authorities are arranging burials. Tens of thousands from the Horn of Africa make this perilous journey yearly, driven by poverty, insecurity, and climate change, despite Yemen's ongoing civil war. More than 900 migrants died or went missing on this route in 2025.
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Over 100 Ethiopian Migrants Drown in Red Sea Boat Disaster Off Djibouti
A boat carrying migrants from Ethiopia capsized en route to Yemen, killing at least 109 people including 15 children, according to the UN migration agency IOM. Over 116 others remain missing; the overloaded vessel had carried 350 people. More than 80 survivors, all Ethiopian, were rescued at sea and brought back to Obock, Djibouti. The Horn of Africa to Yemen migration route is among the world's deadliest, with 4,200 documented deaths since 2014 and 922 deaths or disappearances in 2025 alone. Departures on this "Eastern Route" rose from about 430,000 in 2024 to 507,000 in 2025, with nearly 153,000 in the first quarter of 2026. The route has become more dangerous as the Bab el-Mandab strait is now controlled by Yemen's Houthi rebels, amid simultaneous escalations of war in both Yemen and Ethiopia.
Read sourceAt Least 109 Migrants Die in Boat Capsizing Off Djibouti Coast
At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti while en route to Yemen, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM). The vessel carried 305 people, all Ethiopian nationals, and more than 100 passengers remain missing, while over 80 survived. IOM mission head Alexandre Coissac called it a devastating loss of life and said teams are providing emergency aid with local authorities. The route from the Horn of Africa across the Bab al-Mandab strait toward Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman is a dangerous migration corridor; the IOM reported over 20,000 Ethiopian migrants arrived in Djibouti in three weeks, and more than 900 died or went missing on this route in 2025.
Read sourceChildren among 109 dead after migrant boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says
At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died and dozens remain missing after a boat carrying 350 people capsized near Obock, Djibouti, on Thursday night while travelling to Yemen, the International Organization for Migration said. Around 80 people were rescued, and survivors are all Ethiopian nationals receiving medical care. IOM Djibouti mission chief Alexandre Coissac called the tragedy a stark reminder of the dangers migrants face. The UN agency said 52 men, 42 women, nine girls and six boys were among the recovered bodies, and local authorities are arranging burials. More than 900 migrants died or went missing on the same route in 2025, with an 18% increase in attempts, and a similar incident in March 2026 killed nine and left 45 missing.
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