109 migrants dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti

• The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said at least 109 people died, including 15 children.
• More than 116 were reported missing and more than 80 survived; all reported survivors were Ethiopian nationals.
• The boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen when it capsized near Guhere, north of Obock.
• Djiboutian authorities were still searching, while IOM was helping survivors in Obock.

The bodies recovered included 52 men, 42 women and 15 children, the IOM said on Sunday. Survivors told the agency the boat capsized during the night of 8–9 October. The exact circumstances have not been established in the reports examined.¹

Published estimates of how many people were aboard differ. The Associated Press reported 305, while The Independent said about 350. The total remains unresolved; the death, missing and survivor figures are also provisional while searches continue.²³

IOM said it was assisting 64 survivors at its Migrant Response Centre in Obock, providing healthcare, shelter, food and support to reconnect with families. Local authorities were also providing medical care and arranging burials, according to the agency.¹

The crossing runs from the Horn of Africa across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen. Many people make the journey hoping to reach Gulf countries. IOM reported more than 900 migrant deaths or disappearances on the route in 2025; a separate wreck in March 2026 left nine dead and 45 missing.¹

Footnotes

1. International Organization for Migration statement, republished by Mirage News ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Associated Press, “109 migrants, including 15 children, die after boat capsizes off Djibouti” ↩

3. The Independent, “Children among 109 dead after migrant boat capsizes off Djibouti” ↩