109 migrants die in boat accident off the coast of Djibouti

According to the UN, at least 109 migrants have died in a ship accident off the coast of Djibouti. There are also 15 children among them. More than 100 passengers from the capsized boat en route from Djibouti to Yemen are still missing, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. The ship was on its way from Djibouti to Yemen with 305 passengers. More than 80 passengers survived the accident. According to the UN, all of them are Ethiopian nationals.

"This is a devastating loss of life. Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or still have no news of their relatives," said Alexandre Coissac, head of the IOM 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 migrants face in search of economic opportunities along this migration corridor."

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. A few days ago, the IOM reported that more than 20,000 migrants from Ethiopia had arrived in Djibouti within three weeks.

According to IOM information, it is not just sea crossings that are associated with significant dangers. Migrants reaching Yemen face risks such as violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, exploitation and human trafficking, it said.

According to the IOM's Missing Migrants project, more than 900 migrants died or went missing on this route in 2025, while the number making the journey increased by 18 percent. Another ship accident in March 2026 killed nine people and left 45 others missing.