109 Migrants Dead, 116 Missing in Djibouti Boat Disaster

A boat carrying 350 migrants from Djibouti to Yemen capsized off the coast of Obock, resulting in at least 109 deaths and 116 missing persons, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The IOM reported that 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children, including nine girls and six boys, were among the bodies recovered. Over 80 survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, were rescued by Djiboutian authorities.

IOM chief of mission Alexandre Coissac stated that teams are on the ground providing emergency aid and that the incident highlights the dangers faced by migrants attempting to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The IOM said it is assisting 64 survivors at a migrant center in Obock and that Djiboutian authorities are continuing search and rescue efforts for those still missing.

Since September 10, the IOM has recorded more than 20,000 crossings to Djibouti from Ethiopia. In 2025, more than 900 migrants died or went missing along the sea route to Yemen, with the number attempting the journey increased by 18 percent.

A shipwreck in March 2026 left nine people dead and 45 missing. IOM spokesman Kennedy Omondi Okoth noted that most migrants attempting the journey are from Ethiopia or Somalia, often ending up stuck in Djibouti.