‘Started to sink backwards’: 139 migrants killed as boat capsizes off Djibouti

A boat carrying migrants from Djibouti toward Yemen capsized during the night of October 8-9. It sank near Guhere, off Djibouti’s eastern coast, while carrying 305 people, most of them Ethiopians. The disaster matters because it became one of the deadliest recent incidents on this migration route.

At least 139 people died, including 15 children, and 84 remained missing after more bodies were recovered. Eighty-two people survived. Survivors said the boat began sinking backwards as soon as they boarded, according to Alexandre Coissac of the International Organization for Migration. Some migrants reportedly buried bodies themselves before authorities could verify them.

Djiboutian authorities continued search-and-rescue operations after the sinking. IOM teams provided emergency help, including assistance for 64 survivors at a migrant centre in Obock. The death toll could rise because some burials had not yet been officially verified.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is the narrow waterway between Djibouti and Yemen. It connects the Horn of Africa with Yemen across the Gulf of Aden. In this article, it is important mainly as a migration route, not simply as a geographic boundary.

Migrants from Ethiopia and elsewhere in the Horn of Africa use the crossing to reach Yemen. Many hope to find jobs and safety in Gulf countries. The route is relatively direct, but migrants face a dangerous sea journey. The capsized boat was traveling this way when it sank near Djibouti’s eastern coast.

The crossing remains heavily used despite serious risks. IOM recorded more than 20,000 incoming movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti since September 10. In 2025, more than 900 migrants died or went missing along the sea route to Yemen, while attempts increased by 18%. Conflict and instability across the region make the journey more dangerous.

The boat held 305 people when it set out toward Yemen. Most passengers were Ethiopians. The scale of the disaster is clear from the final reported figures: 139 people died, 84 remained missing, and 82 survived.

The numbers changed as rescue teams recovered more bodies. IOM first reported 109 deaths and 116 missing people. It later revised the toll to 139 deaths and 84 missing. The figures add up to all 305 passengers, although the official death count could still rise because some bodies buried by migrants had not been verified by authorities.

At least 15 children were among those who died. All 82 recorded survivors were Ethiopian nationals. IOM was assisting 64 survivors at a migrant centre in Obock, while Djiboutian authorities continued searching for missing people and recovering bodies.

The sea crossing was dangerous because the boat was overcrowded and the journey passed through a region affected by conflict and instability. The waterway itself carries significant risks. Survivors said the boat began sinking backwards as soon as they boarded, showing how quickly conditions could become fatal.

People still boarded because the journey offered a possible escape from poverty, insecurity, and the effects of climate change. Many migrants were seeking jobs and safety in Gulf countries. The article also reports that 150 people on this boat had previously been turned back from Yemen, yet tried the crossing again.

The route is becoming more heavily used even as deaths continue. IOM recorded more than 20,000 incoming movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti since September 10. In 2025, over 900 migrants died or went missing on the sea route to Yemen, while attempts rose by 18%. These figures show the pressure behind the decisions.

A capsized migrant boat creates several urgent needs at once. Rescuers must find people in the water, recover bodies, identify survivors, and determine who remains missing. Authorities may also need to verify burials and update the official death toll as new information emerges.

After this sinking, Djiboutian authorities continued search-and-rescue operations. IOM teams provided emergency assistance to survivors. The agency was assisting 64 people at a migrant centre in the coastal town of Obock. The death toll rose from 109 to 139 as more bodies were recovered, while the missing count fell from 116 to 84.

The response was still unfinished. Some bodies had reportedly been buried by migrants themselves and had not yet been verified by authorities. IOM said the official count could rise further. The agency’s director general also urged governments and donors to expand search-and-rescue support and create safer migration routes.

Being turned back does not remove the pressures that led people to migrate. The passengers were traveling toward Yemen in search of jobs and safety in Gulf countries. The article links these journeys to poverty, insecurity, and the growing effects of climate change.

A striking example is that 150 people aboard this boat had previously been turned back from Yemen. They still attempted the crossing again. Their repeated effort shows how a failed journey may not change the need or hope that prompted migration. The trip remains dangerous, but people may believe there is no safer way forward.

The route continues to attract many migrants despite repeated disasters. More than 900 migrants died or went missing along the sea route to Yemen in 2025, and attempts increased by 18%. Amy Pope said people do not board such boats unless they believe there is no other safe way. She called for safe and legal pathways.

Poverty can limit people’s ability to meet basic needs, while insecurity and conflict can threaten their safety. Climate change can deepen these pressures by making livelihoods and living conditions harder. Together, these forces help explain why people leave the Horn of Africa and attempt the dangerous route toward Yemen.

The article gives a clear example: migrants crossed the Bab al-Mandeb seeking jobs and safety in Gulf countries. Some tried again after being turned back. The boat carried 305 people, and at least 139 died. Their decisions show how strong migration pressures can coexist with extreme danger.

Safer legal pathways could give migrants alternatives to smugglers’ overcrowded boats and risky sea crossings. Better-supported search and rescue could also save lives when journeys go wrong. IOM director general Amy Pope urged governments and donors to expand rescue support and create safer routes, saying legal pathways save lives.