Children among 139 dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says

A boat carrying migrants from Djibouti to Yemen capsized near the port town of Obock on Thursday night. The disaster killed at least 139 people, including 15 children. The death toll rose after rescuers recovered 30 additional bodies.

There were 305 people aboard. Around 82 were rescued, and all the survivors identified in the report were Ethiopian nationals. These figures mean dozens of passengers were still missing after the sinking. The International Organization for Migration revised its earlier death toll of 109 to 139.

Survivors received medical care, while local authorities arranged burials for those who died. The IOM was assisting 64 survivors at its response centre in Obock. It was also helping them restore contact with their families. The scale of the loss highlights the dangers migrants face on this route across the sea.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a narrow waterway between Djibouti in the Horn of Africa and Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula. The article describes Djibouti as sitting just across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen. This makes the strait the sea passage migrants cross when travelling from Djibouti toward Yemen.

The route may look geographically short, but distance does not make it safe. Migrants travel by boat across the strait, and the reported disaster shows how quickly a crossing can become fatal. The boat sank near Obock, a port town on Djibouti’s coast, after leaving for Yemen.

The strait remains part of a dangerous migration route despite Yemen’s long civil war and wider regional instability. Tens of thousands of people attempt the journey each year. They hope to reach Gulf countries for safety and work, but many die or disappear during the crossing.

The passengers were part of a wider migration from the Horn of Africa toward Gulf countries. The journey was driven by poverty, insecurity, and the growing impacts of climate change. These pressures can make people seek safety, work, or a new life elsewhere, even when the route itself is dangerous.

The reported boat carried people from Djibouti toward Yemen, and the survivors were all Ethiopian nationals. Since 10 September, the IOM recorded more than 20,000 movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti. This shows that the boat disaster occurred within a much larger pattern of movement across the region.

Yemen has endured a devastating civil war for more than a decade, and instability has grown across the wider region. Yet migrants still cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The hope of reaching Gulf countries continues to outweigh the perceived alternatives for many people. The route’s dangers remain severe.

The route between the Horn of Africa and Yemen is used by tens of thousands of migrants each year. It is not a rare journey. People travel through Djibouti hoping to reach Gulf countries for safety and work, despite the risks linked to the sea crossing and Yemen’s conflict.

The IOM reported that more than 900 migrants died or went missing on the same route during 2025. That toll came during an 18% increase in the number of people attempting the journey. A similar incident in March 2026 killed nine people and left 45 missing.

The latest sinking adds at least 139 deaths to this pattern. It also left dozens missing after a boat carrying 305 people capsized. These figures show that the route is both heavily used and exceptionally dangerous. Continued attempts suggest that poverty, insecurity, and climate pressures keep pushing people toward it.

A sea crossing can become deadly when a boat carrying many people loses stability and capsizes. Passengers may be thrown into the water, while others can become trapped or separated. Rescue efforts are difficult, especially when people go missing and bodies must later be recovered.

In this disaster, 305 people were aboard a boat travelling from Djibouti to Yemen. It capsized near Obock on Thursday night. Around 82 people were rescued, but at least 139 died, including 15 children, and dozens remained missing. The IOM later revised the death toll after recovering 30 more bodies.

The crossing is also dangerous because it leads toward Yemen, a country in civil war for more than a decade. Wider regional instability adds further risk. Yet migrants continue crossing because poverty, insecurity, and climate change push them toward Gulf countries. The route’s repeated disasters show that its dangers are persistent.

After a disaster, immediate priorities include rescuing survivors, treating injuries, identifying the dead, and supporting families. The response also involves communicating with relatives when people are missing. These steps help address both the physical and emotional consequences of a mass-casualty event.

In Djibouti, local authorities arranged burials for those who died. The survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, had medical care readily available. The IOM provided assistance to 64 survivors at its response centre in Obock, including healthcare and support to restore contact with their families.

The response continued while dozens of passengers remained missing. IOM staff worked closely with local authorities to help migrants and prevent deaths at sea and on land. The agency’s statement also expressed sympathy for families who had lost loved ones or remained without news. Recovery therefore involved both practical aid and family tracing.

Migration means moving from one place to another, either temporarily or permanently. People may migrate to find work, escape danger, or seek better living conditions. In this story, migrants from the Horn of Africa travelled through Djibouti toward Yemen, hoping eventually to reach Gulf countries for safety and work.

The article identifies several pressures behind the journey. Poverty can limit people’s choices. Insecurity can make home unsafe. Climate change can worsen living conditions and livelihoods. Since 10 September, the IOM observed more than 20,000 movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti, showing the scale of movement in the region.

These pressures can make people accept serious risks. Migrants continued across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait despite Yemen’s civil war and wider regional instability. The boat disaster shows the consequences when a dangerous journey ends in a sinking. More than 900 migrants died or went missing on the same route in 2025.