At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, die in Djibouti boat capsize
At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died when a boat capsized off Djibouti while travelling to Yemen. The disaster highlights the dangers of a heavily used migration route across the Gulf of Aden, where people often travel in overcrowded boats.
The boat was carrying about 305 people when it capsized overnight on 8–9 October near Guhere, north of Obock. More than 80 people survived and over 116 remain missing; the recovered bodies included 52 men, 42 women and 15 children. Djiboutian authorities are continuing search-and-rescue efforts, while the UN’s International Organization for Migration is providing survivors with medical, food and psychosocial support.
- At least 109 migrants died in a boat capsizing off Djibouti.
- More than 116 people are still missing.
- The boat was carrying about 305 people bound for Yemen.
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The Gulf of Aden, between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, is one of the world's busiest migration routes. Thousands of people attempt to cross it each year, typically heading towards Yemen before moving on to Saudi Arabia or other Gulf states in search of employment and better living conditions.
The journey is perilous, with migrants often packed into unseaworthy boats that lack proper safety equipment or provisions. Deaths from capsizes and sinkings occur regularly on this route, driven by the desperation of people escaping poverty and conflict and the willingness of smuggling networks to take dangerous risks for profit.
This migration corridor remains a major humanitarian concern, with thousands having died attempting the crossing over recent years. The dangerous conditions persist because many people see few other options for escaping difficult circumstances in their home countries or regions.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “More than one hundred migrants are dead including 15 children after boat capsizes off Djibouti”.