At least 139 migrants dead, 84 missing after overcrowded boat capsizes off Djibouti

Boat Capsizes Off Djibouti Coast, At Least 139 Migrants Die

A small passenger vessel that departed Djibouti on Thursday night with a crowded cargo of more than 300 people sank off the coast near Guhere, north of Obock, Thursday night or early Friday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that 139 migrants, including 15 children, lost their lives, while 84 remain missing and more than 80 survivors have been rescued.

The IOM says the ship was traveling from Djibouti toward Yemen when it capsized shortly after departure. All the survivors – 80 in total – are Ethiopian nationals. They were brought to an IOM‑run rescue center in Obock where they are receiving medical treatment for seawater aspiration and psychological support. “They’re all in a state of shock,” IOM chief of mission in Djibouti Alexandre Coissac told reporters.

Coissac, who is also the IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti, added that the confirmed death toll only includes bodies that authorities have been able to bury. “Some victims were buried by fellow migrants but will not be added to the official count until authorities can verify the bodies,” he said. “What is terrible is that they were buried with no names, in a common grave, like in a war situation. They all have a mother, a father, and we may never learn what happened.”

The vessel’s overcrowding is cited as a primary factor in its loss. “They sank mainly because it was overcrowded,” Coissac said. The IOM has said that the crossing from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula is a common but perilous route for people seeking work in Gulf countries. Last year alone, more than 900 migrants died or went missing on the same route.

IOM Director General Amy Pope urged action in a statement. “No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way,” she said. “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.”