At Least 109 Migrants Die After Boat Sinks Off Djibouti
At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died after a boat carrying 350 people sank off Djibouti, while around 116 others remain missing, the IOM said.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, have died after a boat carrying hundreds of people sank off the coast of Djibouti, while around 116 others remain missing, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The IOM said on Sunday that the vessel had been carrying about 350 migrants and was traveling from Djibouti toward Yemen when it sank on Thursday night off the northern coast of Obock.
The organization said its teams on the ground are working alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance following the disaster.
According to IOM figures, the bodies recovered so far include 52 men, 42 women and 15 children.
Among the children were nine girls and six boys.
More than 80 people survived the sinking, and the IOM said all of the survivors were Ethiopian nationals.
The organization said the casualty figures were based in part on accounts provided by survivors.
Alexander Kwasi, head of the IOM team in Djibouti, described the incident as a devastating loss of life.
"This is a horrific loss of human life," Kwasi said. "Our thoughts are with the survivors and with the families who have lost loved ones or who still do not know the fate of their relatives."
He said the sinking highlighted the severe risks migrants face while attempting to travel across the Bab al-Mandab Strait in search of economic opportunities.
The route between the Horn of Africa and Yemen has become increasingly dangerous, with migrants making sea crossings despite significant risks.
The IOM said the tragedy also reflects the broader pressures pushing people to undertake such journeys.
According to the organization, poverty, insecurity and the growing effects of climate change continue to force migrants onto dangerous migration routes.
Those risks have become more acute as tensions across the Middle East continue to rise.
The IOM said nearly 116 people remain unaccounted for following the sinking.
Search and emergency support efforts are continuing as local authorities and humanitarian teams work to establish the fate of those still missing.
The disaster is one of the deadliest recent incidents involving migrants attempting to cross the waters between Djibouti and Yemen.
For survivors and families, the immediate focus remains on identifying the dead, locating those still missing and providing assistance to those rescued.
The IOM said the incident serves as another warning of the human cost of irregular migration routes, particularly for people seeking livelihoods and greater economic security despite the dangers involved.