At least 139 migrants die as boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says

At least 139 migrants, 15 of them children, died after a boat carrying 305 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti on Thursday night, the International Organization for Migration said. The vessel was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen when it went down near the port town of Obock; about 82 people were rescued.

How many people died and how many were rescued?

The United Nations migration agency put the toll at 139 dead, including 15 children, with dozens more still missing. The IOM said it first reported 109 deaths and raised the figure after 30 more bodies were recovered. Around 82 people were rescued, and the survivors are all Ethiopian nationals who have medical care available to them, according to the agency. Local authorities are arranging burials for those who died.

What has the IOM said about the sinking?

Alexandre Coissac, the IOM’s mission chief in Djibouti, described the capsizing as a “stark reminder” of the dangers migrants face when seeking a new life elsewhere. “This is a devastating loss of life,” he said. “Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives.” The agency said it was assisting 64 survivors at its response centre in Obock, providing healthcare and support to restore contact with their families, and working in close collaboration with local authorities to prevent deaths at sea and on land.

Why do migrants cross from Djibouti to Yemen?

Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa make the journey each year hoping to reach Gulf countries for safety and work, according to the IOM. Yemen has been engulfed in a civil war for more than a decade, and the UN refugee agency said last month that the conflict had displaced more than 130,000 people across the country. Migrants still cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen, driven by poverty, insecurity and the growing impacts of climate change, the agency says. Djibouti is a small former French colony that sits just across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, and thousands of Yemenis have fled there to escape the war between Houthi fighters and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

How many migrants take this route, and how many die?

The IOM said its Displacement Tracking Matrix had recorded more than 20,000 “movements” from Ethiopia to Djibouti since 10 September. More than 900 migrants died or went missing on the same route in 2025, during an 18% increase in the number of people attempting the journey, according to the agency’s statistics. In March 2026, nine people were killed and 45 went missing in a similar incident.

Frequently asked questions

How many people died in the boat capsize off Djibouti?

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, died, the International Organization for Migration said. The agency first reported 109 deaths and raised the toll after 30 more bodies were recovered.

Where did the boat sink?

The boat capsized near the port town of Obock on Djibouti’s coast on Thursday night while travelling from Djibouti to Yemen with 305 people aboard.

How many people survived the Djibouti boat sinking?

Around 82 people were rescued, according to the IOM, which said the survivors are all Ethiopian nationals and have medical care available to them.

Why do migrants travel from Djibouti to Yemen?

The IOM says tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa make the journey each year hoping to reach Gulf countries for safety and work, driven by poverty, insecurity and the impacts of climate change.

With reporting from BBC News.

Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)