A migrant boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti in East Africa while heading to Yemen, causing at least 139 deaths, including over a dozen children.
The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on 11 Oct 2026 that a migrant boat sank off Djibouti’s coast in Africa, resulting in at least 139 deaths, including 15 children, with dozens more missing.
IOM stated the vessel was traveling from Djibouti to Yemen with 350 passengers and crew before capsizing near the port city of Obock on the night of Thursday, 8 Oct. Rescue operations have so far saved approximately 80 survivors, all of whom are Ethiopian.
Alexandre Guassak, head of IOM’s mission in Djibouti, said this tragedy is a “clear reminder” of the dangers migrants face while seeking a new life abroad and described it as a “deeply heartbreaking loss of life.”
IOM also revealed it is assisting 64 survivors at a support center in Obock city, providing healthcare and family tracing services, while closely coordinating with local authorities to aid migrants and prevent further losses at sea and on land.
Hundreds of thousands from the Horn of Africa region continue to risk their lives crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, aiming to pass through Yemen to Gulf countries in search of work and safety, despite Yemen’s ongoing civil war, driven by poverty, insecurity, and local violence.
. . . International news coverage:https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign
Source:bbc