Death Toll Rises to 139 After Migrant Vessel Capsizes Off Djibouti Coast

At least 139 people, including 15 children, have died and 84 remain missing after an overcrowded migrant vessel capsized off the eastern coast of Djibouti. The tragedy occurred in the Gulf of Aden near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait as the boat attempted the perilous crossing toward Yemen.

The International Organization for Migration reported that survivors placed the shipwreck near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock, between Thursday night and early Friday morning. The vessel was carrying more than 300 passengers, predominantly Ethiopian nationals seeking employment and safety in Gulf countries, when it capsized in turbulent waters.

Rescue Operations and Official Toll Revisions

Djiboutian search and rescue teams, operating alongside UN migration personnel, managed to rescue more than 80 survivors. Alexandre Coissac, the IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti, stated that the organization revised its official death toll upward from 109 to 139 after recovery teams located 30 additional bodies.

IOM Director General Amy Pope called on governments and donors to fund search and rescue operations and create safe, legal migration pathways to prevent further fatal boat disasters.

Coissac noted that the official count includes only individuals buried by local authorities. Numerous other victims interred independently by migrants along the coast are pending formal verification before inclusion in official statistics. Survivors have been housed at the IOM response center in Obock, where medical teams provide emergency healthcare and assist in restoring contact with families.

Rising Migration Pressures Amid Regional Conflict

The disaster highlights the escalating dangers along the Horn of Africa migration corridor, where thousands of individuals attempt the crossing despite intensifying regional instability. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, measuring roughly 20 kilometers at its narrowest point, has experienced heightened maritime risks due to ongoing conflict in Yemen and wider geopolitical tensions.

According to IOM displacement tracking metrics, more than 20,000 incoming movements from Ethiopia into Djibouti have been recorded since September 10. Last year, over half-a-dozen major incidents contributed to an annual toll exceeding 900 dead or missing along the same maritime corridor. Simultaneously, Djibouti faces a counter-migration influx, with thousands of displaced Yemenis fleeing the renewed civil war to seek refuge within the tiny East African nation.

According to IOM's Missing Migrants Project, more than 900 migrants died or went missing along the Eastern Route in 2025 as total movements increased by 18 per cent.

Understanding the numbers and the migration route

Fatality counts in maritime disasters can change dramatically as rescue crews recover bodies, survivors are interviewed and missing-person lists are reconciled. The 139 reported deaths and 84 missing should therefore be attributed to the agency and reporting point, not treated as an indefinitely final total. This crossing is often described as part of the Eastern Route: migrants travel through the Horn of Africa toward Yemen, sometimes hoping to continue toward Gulf labour markets. War and restrictions along the route can make the journey more dangerous even when people know the risks. Beyond the immediate rescue response, the questions are whether families can identify relatives, whether survivors receive medical and protection assistance, and whether smuggling networks and unsafe departure practices are being investigated.