Headline: At Least 139 Migrants Dead After Boat Sinks Off Djibouti Coast

Date: 11 October 2026

Tags: World News, Migration, Humanitarian Crisis, Africa

Summary:

- At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, died after a boat capsized off Djibouti's coast on Thursday night.

- The vessel was carrying 305 people from Djibouti to Yemen when it sank near the port town of Obock.

- Approximately 82 people were rescued, while dozens remain missing, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

- The death toll increased from 109 to 139 after authorities recovered 30 additional bodies.

- All rescued survivors are Ethiopian nationals, with 64 receiving assistance at an IOM response centre in Obock.

- Local authorities are arranging burials while humanitarian workers provide medical care and help survivors contact their families.

- Migrants regularly cross from the Horn of Africa to Yemen seeking employment and opportunities in Gulf countries.

- Poverty, insecurity and climate change continue driving migration despite Yemen's ongoing civil war.

- More than 20,000 migration movements from Ethiopia into Djibouti have been recorded since 10 September.

- More than 900 migrants died or disappeared along the same route in 2025, according to IOM figures.

Why this matters: The disaster highlights the dangers faced by migrants travelling between the Horn of Africa and Yemen. Continued migration despite regional conflict demonstrates the economic and humanitarian pressures driving people to undertake dangerous sea crossings.

What’s next: Rescue and recovery operations are continuing as authorities attempt to account for missing passengers. The IOM is coordinating with Djiboutian authorities to support survivors and strengthen efforts to prevent further deaths along the migration route.