At Least 109 Migrants Dead and Over 116 Missing After Shipwreck off Djibouti

GENEVA/OBOCK — At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, have died and more than 116 remain missing after a vessel carrying 305 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti during the night of 8–9 October 2026, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on 11 October.

According to survivor accounts, the vessel was traveling from Djibouti to Yemen when it overturned near Guhere, north of Obock. Search teams have recovered 109 bodies, comprising 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children, including nine girls and six boys. More than 80 passengers survived the incident, all of whom are Ethiopian nationals.

IOM stated that it is providing emergency aid to 64 survivors at its Migrant Response Centre in Obock, offering healthcare, psychosocial support, food, temporary shelter, protection services, and assistance with family tracing. Djiboutian authorities are actively conducting search and rescue operations for the missing individuals, delivering medical treatment to survivors, and managing burial arrangements for the deceased.

“This is a devastating loss of life. Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives,” said Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti. “Our teams are on the ground alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities.”

The IOM noted that tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa travel through Djibouti and across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait each year, seeking employment and stability in Gulf countries despite security risks. IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix recorded over 20,000 movements into Djibouti from Ethiopia since 10 September.

According to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, more than 900 migrants died or went missing along the Eastern Route in 2025. Another shipwreck in March 2026 resulted in nine deaths and left 45 people missing. Amid growing operational needs, the agency has called on international donors and partners to expand financial support for search and rescue efforts and to establish safer migration pathways.

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