Over 130 Migrants Die After Boat Capsizes Off Djibouti Coast

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, died after a boat carrying over 300 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti while en route to Yemen.

Survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, numbered around 82. The vessel overturned near Guhere, north of the Djiboutian port town of Obock, during the night of October 8-9. Alexandre Coissac, the IOM's chief of mission in Djibouti, described the event as a devastating loss of life and a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor.

The death toll initially stood at 109 before an additional 30 bodies were recovered. The first confirmed victims included 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children. The disaster occurred along the Eastern Route, a migration corridor connecting the Horn of Africa with the Arabian Peninsula, used by tens of thousands annually seeking work in Gulf countries.

Poverty, food and financial insecurity, and climate change are cited as drivers for these dangerous journeys. The IOM's monitoring system recorded over 20,000 movements from Ethiopia into Djibouti since September 10. This incident follows another shipwreck off Djibouti in March, which resulted in nine migrant deaths and 45 missing. The IOM stated that authorities are providing medical assistance and psychological support to survivors, who are in a state of shock.

Some survivors are aware of family members' deaths, while others have been able to contact loved ones to confirm they are alive. The bodies of those who died were buried in a common grave without names, according to Coissac.