Nairobi, Oct 11. (dpa/GNA) – At least 139 migrants have died and 84 people are missing, after a boat accident off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday.
The vessel was carrying 305 people and left Djibouti for Yemen, the IOM said. It added that 15 children were among the dead. More than 80 people survived the disaster.
Amy Pope, IOM chief, called for safe and legal migration pathways in the wake of the tragedy. “No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way,” she said in a statement. “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,” Pope said.
The search for the dead and possible survivors was continuing. According to the UN, all those on board were Ethiopian nationals.
The boat capsized near Guhere, north of Obock, on Thursday night, according to survivors. “This is a devastating loss of life,” said Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti. “Our teams are on the ground alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance.
This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor, as they seek economic opportunities.”
Djibouti is the starting point of the so-called eastern migration route from the Horn of Africa via the Bab al-Mandab Strait to the Arabian Peninsula.
The IOM recently reported that more than 20,000 migrants from Ethiopia had arrived in Djibouti over a period of three weeks.
People from Somalia, too, repeatedly attempt to reach destinations such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Oman, via the port of Djibouti.
They often make the journey in search of work and greater stability.
According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants project, more than 900 migrants lost their lives or were listed as missing on this route in 2025.
The IOM reports that the dangers are not limited to the sea crossing itself. Migrants who reach Yemen face risks including violence, arbitrary detention and imprisonment, exploitation and human trafficking, it said.
GNA