Shipwreck near Djibouti, Africa, kills at least 109 migrants; another 116 are missing

At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died and another 116 are considered missing after the sinking of a vessel off the coast of Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, on the night of Thursday (8) to Friday (9).

The information was released this Sunday (11) by the IOM (International Organization for Migration), a UN agency (United Nations).

According to reports from survivors, the boat was carrying 305 people from Djibouti to Yemen when it capsized near Guhere, north of the city of Obock, in Djiboutian territory.

Located opposite Yemen, in northeast Africa, Djibouti is close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and constitutes an important passage for maritime trade between Asia and Europe.

The route gained even more relevance for the international transport of goods, especially Saudi oil, after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, on the other side of the Arabian peninsula.

"Our teams are on site, alongside local authorities, to provide emergency assistance. This tragedy brutally reminds us of the dangers to which migrants are exposed along this migratory route," said Alexandre Coissac, head of the IOM mission in Djibouti.

Among the 109 bodies recovered are 52 men, 42 women, nine girls and six boys. More than 80 people survived the sinking, all of Ethiopian nationality, according to the organization.

Every year, tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa cross Djibouti and cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into Yemen. Many intend to go to Gulf countries in search of security, stability and job opportunities, according to the IOM.

The organization says that poverty, insecurity and the increasingly intense effects of climate change lead these people to risk crossing, despite growing instability in the Middle East, including in Yemen itself.

In early September, the IOM reported that more than 2,000 people had left Yemen for Djibouti within days, amid clashes between government forces and Houthi rebels.