15 Children Among 139 Dead After Migrant Boat Sinks off Djibouti

At least 139 migrants died when a boat carrying more than 300 people sank off the coast of Djibouti on the night of October 8–9. Djibouti is a small country located in East Africa. The victims included 15 children — nine girls and six boys. The United Nations' International Organization for Migration, known as the IOM, reported the tragedy after its workers arrived on the scene.

The boat was carrying 305 people when it capsized near a place called Guhere, north of a port town called Obock. Eighty-two survivors were found, and all of them were Ethiopian nationals. As of the latest reports, 84 people were still missing. Local authorities were continuing search-and-rescue operations to try to find them.

An IOM official named Alexandre Coissac said the official death toll only counts people buried by Djibouti's authorities. Others were buried by fellow migrants, but they won't be added to the count until authorities can confirm the details. Among the 109 bodies recovered were 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children. IOM workers found shoes and other personal items washed up on a nearby beach.

The IOM was helping 64 survivors at its Migrant Response Centre in Obock. Workers there gave survivors food, shelter, and healthcare. They also provided emotional support and helped people get back in touch with their families. Local authorities arranged medical care and burials for those who died.

The boat was heading from Djibouti to Yemen when it went down. Every year, tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa travel through Djibouti hoping to cross the sea to Yemen. Most are trying to reach wealthy Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, where they hope to find jobs and a better life. The IOM says poverty, conflict, and the effects of climate change push people to take these dangerous journeys.

The dangers do not stop at the water's edge. Migrants who make it to Yemen can still face violence, arrest, and exploitation. Many also fall victim to trafficking, which means they can be tricked or forced into dangerous situations. Even so, thousands attempt the crossing every year because they feel they have no other choice.

IOM Director General Amy Pope spoke out strongly after the disaster. She said, 'No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way.' She called on governments and donors to create safe and legal ways for migrants to travel so that fewer lives are lost. 'We cannot keep treating these deaths as normal,' she added.

Sea crossings like this one are among the deadliest in the world. The IOM recorded more than 900 migrant deaths or disappearances on the Djibouti-to-Yemen route in 2025 alone. A separate shipwreck in March 2026 left nine people dead and 45 missing. Across all sea routes, the IOM has tracked thousands of deaths as people risk everything searching for safety and opportunity.