The vessel was carrying 305 people toward Yemen when it sank near Guhere, leaving 84 people missing, U.N. officials said.
DJIBOUTI CITY, DJIBOUTI — At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died after an overcrowded boat carrying 305 people capsized off Djibouti while traveling toward Yemen, the International Organization for Migration said. Another 84 people remained missing as search and recovery efforts continued.
The vessel sank near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock, during the night of Oct. 8 into the early hours of Oct. 9, according to the U.N. migration agency and accounts from survivors. The disaster is among the deadliest recent shipwrecks on the Eastern Route, a migration corridor linking the Horn of Africa with Yemen and, for many travelers, possible jobs in wealthier Gulf countries. More than 80 people survived the sinking, with the agency reporting that the survivors were Ethiopian nationals.
The official death toll had risen to 139 by Sunday after additional bodies were recovered. The dead included 15 children, according to the migration agency. Alexandre Coissac, the agency’s chief of mission in Djibouti, told news organizations that the boat sank soon after the migrants boarded and that overcrowding was a major factor. Survivors said the vessel began sinking from the rear shortly after departure. Authorities continued working along the coast as concerns grew for those still unaccounted for.
The confirmed toll may not include everyone who died. Coissac told The Associated Press that the official count covered bodies buried by Djiboutian authorities. Some victims were buried by fellow migrants before officials could verify their deaths, he said, meaning those cases were not immediately added to the government count. Many of the dead had not been identified, adding to the difficulty families face in learning what happened to relatives who made the journey.
Survivors were being taken to a migration agency center in Obock, where they received medical care and psychological support. Coissac said many were in shock after the wreck. Some knew that relatives traveling with them had died, while others were given access to phones so they could tell family members that they had survived. The International Organization for Migration said its teams were working with local authorities to provide emergency assistance while Djiboutian crews continued search and recovery operations.
The route across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is used by tens of thousands of people from the Horn of Africa each year. Many travel through Djibouti before attempting to reach Yemen, despite the dangers of the sea crossing and continued instability on the Arabian Peninsula. Migrants who reach Yemen often hope to continue toward Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries in search of work. The journey exposes travelers to shipwrecks, trafficking, detention, abuse and other dangers, according to the migration agency.
The latest wreck follows a series of deadly incidents involving migrants attempting the crossing. The International Organization for Migration said more than 900 people died or went missing along the Eastern Route in 2025. In March, another wreck off Djibouti left migrants dead and dozens missing while they were attempting to reach Yemen. The agency has repeatedly described the corridor as one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes.
Migration through Djibouti has continued even as regional instability has increased. The agency said it recorded more than 20,000 movements into Djibouti from Ethiopia since Sept. 10. At the same time, renewed conflict in Yemen has pushed thousands of Yemenis to travel in the opposite direction toward Djibouti. The two-way movement reflects the wider instability surrounding the narrow Bab el-Mandeb waterway, which separates the Horn of Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.
International Organization for Migration Director General Amy Pope said the deaths underscored the risks facing people who see few safe alternatives to irregular migration. Coissac also described the sinking as a devastating loss of life and said the agency was assisting survivors and families awaiting information about missing relatives. Authorities had not announced a final casualty figure as of Monday, and search and recovery operations were continuing with 84 people still listed as missing.
Author note: Last updated October 12, 2026.