At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died and more than 116 others went missing after a boat carrying 350 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration on Sunday 11 October. More than 80 people survived the incident, while search-and-rescue operations continue amid growing fears for the missing.
International Organization for Migration mourns victims
Alexander Kwazak, head of the International Organization for Migration's mission in Djibouti, said: “It is a tragic loss of life. Our hearts go out to the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or are still without news of their relatives.” Kwazak added that the organisation's teams were on the ground alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance.
He described the incident as a stark reminder of the risks migrants face along this route as they seek economic opportunities. According to survivors' accounts, the boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen when it capsized near the Goherri area, north of Obock, during the night of 8 to 9 October.
Toll of dead and survivors from the boat
The migrants on board were Ethiopian nationals. The 109 bodies recovered included 52 men, 42 women and 15 children—nine girls and six boys. More than 80 people, meanwhile, survived the boat's sinking. The International Organization for Migration is assisting 64 survivors at its migrant response centre in Obock.
The services provided include healthcare, psychosocial support and protection services, as well as temporary shelter, food assistance and support for survivors seeking to reconnect with their families. Djiboutian authorities are continuing search-and-rescue operations to locate the missing.
Local authorities are also providing medical care to survivors and arranging dignified burials for the victims. Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa take this route each year, crossing Djibouti and then the Bab el-Mandeb Strait towards Yemen in the hope of reaching the Gulf states in search of safety, stability and work opportunities.
Poverty, insecurity and the growing effects of climate change are driving many to make the journey, despite increasing instability across the Middle East. Migrants continue to cross this hazardous sea route despite violence in Yemen, seeking to reach the Gulf states.
Since 10 September, the International Organization for Migration's Displacement Tracking Matrix has recorded more than 20,000 arrivals in Djibouti from Ethiopia, indicating that migrant movements along this route are continuing.
