11-10-2026
At least 109 people, including 15 children, have died and more than 116 are missing after a migrant boat capsized off Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says. The incident occurred near Guhere on Djibouti’s eastern coast, facing the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb strait, between Thursday night and early Friday morning. Survivors told the IOM that the boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen with more than 300 people aboard. More than 80 people, all Ethiopian, survived. Djiboutian authorities continued search-and-rescue operations, while IOM teams were providing emergency assistance alongside local officials. IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti Alexandre Coissac described the loss of life as devastating and said the disaster underscored the dangers migrants face along the route.
The Bab al-Mandeb crossing is a popular but hazardous migration corridor for people from the Horn of Africa seeking work and safety in Gulf countries. The route is being used despite instability associated with the US-Israel war on Iran and renewed fighting in Yemen between government forces and Houthi fighters. The IOM reported more than 20,000 incoming movements to Djibouti from Ethiopia since September 10. It also recorded more than half a million attempts to travel along the route into Yemen last year, with at least 900 people dead or missing. The article notes that Djibouti is both a departure point for migrants heading toward Yemen and a destination for people fleeing renewed conflict there.
Entities: International Organization for Migration (IOM), Alexandre Coissac, Djibouti, Guhere, Yemen • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
11-10-2026
At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, have died after a boat capsized off Djibouti while travelling to Yemen, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The vessel was carrying about 350 people when it overturned near the port town of Obock on Thursday night. Around 80 people were rescued, and 116 people remain missing, according to the figures in the report. The recovered bodies included 52 men, 42 women, nine girls and six boys.
Alexandre Coissac, head of the IOM mission in Djibouti, described the disaster as a stark reminder of the dangers migrants face in search of a new life. The survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, have access to medical care. The IOM is assisting 64 survivors at its Obock response centre, including with healthcare and help reconnecting with their families. Local authorities are arranging burials for those who died, and the agency says it is working with them to support migrants and prevent deaths.
People from the Horn of Africa continue to make the dangerous crossing toward Yemen and Gulf countries in search of safety and work, despite Yemen’s long-running civil war and instability across the region. The article cites poverty, insecurity and climate change as factors driving migration. Since 10 September, the IOM’s tracking system recorded more than 20,000 movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti. The agency also reported that more than 900 migrants died or went missing on the route in 2025, as attempts to make the journey increased by 18%. A similar incident in March 2026 killed nine people and left 45 missing.
Entities: International Organization for Migration (IOM), Alexandre Coissac, Djibouti, Yemen, Obock • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
11-10-2026
A migrant boat carrying an estimated 350 people capsized overnight near Obock, off the coast of Djibouti, while traveling toward Yemen. The United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that 109 people had died, 80 had survived and 116 were still missing. Djiboutian authorities continued search-and-rescue operations as concern grew for those unaccounted for. The survivors were all Ethiopian nationals. Among the bodies recovered were 52 men, 42 women and 15 children.
IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti Alexandre Coissac described the loss of life as devastating and said the disaster underscored the risks migrants face on the route across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The agency says people undertake the journey in search of economic opportunities, while poverty, insecurity and climate change are among the factors driving migration. The crossing leads toward Yemen and, for many, onward to Gulf countries, despite instability in the region and Yemen’s ongoing civil war.
IOM detected more than 20,000 crossings from Djibouti to Yemen in the past month. It also reported that more than 900 migrants died attempting the passage in 2025, with most people on the route coming from Ethiopia and Somalia. The agency urged donors and partners to increase support for Djibouti’s response, including rescue operations and life-saving assistance. The article places the sinking within a broader rise in Red Sea crossings and shipwrecks.
Entities: International Organization for Migration (IOM), Alexandre Coissac, Djibouti, Obock, Yemen • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
11-10-2026
At least 139 migrants died after a boat capsized off Djibouti during the night of 8 to 9 October, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM). The vessel was carrying 305 people from Djibouti to Yemen and sank near Guhere, north of Obock. A further 84 people were still missing when the IOM reported the updated toll on Sunday. The number of confirmed deaths had risen from 109 after 30 additional bodies were recovered. In its earlier account, the IOM said the initial 109 people found dead included 52 men, 42 women and 15 children; more than 80 people had survived, all of them Ethiopian nationals.
Alexandre Coissac, the IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti, described the incident as a devastating loss of life and said the agency’s teams were working with local authorities to provide emergency assistance. Search and rescue operations were ongoing. Coissac said the tragedy highlighted the dangers faced by migrants using this route in search of economic opportunities.
The IOM said tens of thousands of people travel from the Horn of Africa through Djibouti each year, crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen in hopes of eventually reaching Gulf countries. Poverty, insecurity and the growing effects of climate change contribute to people undertaking the journey, despite instability across the Middle East. The article also notes a shipwreck off Djibouti in March that killed nine migrants and left 45 missing. Since 10 September, more than 20,000 incoming movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti had been recorded by the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix.
Entities: International Organization for Migration (IOM), Alexandre Coissac, Djibouti, Yemen, Guhere • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
11-10-2026
At least 139 migrants died and 84 remain missing after a boat carrying 350 people capsized off Djibouti while traveling toward Yemen, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Sunday. The vessel sank overnight on October 8–9, north of the Djiboutian town of Obock. The latest death toll reflects the discovery of 30 additional bodies. An earlier IOM statement had reported 109 deaths, including 15 children, and about 116 people missing.
Survivors said the boat was traveling from Djibouti to Yemen. More than 80 people survived the wreck; all were Ethiopian nationals. Among the recovered bodies were at least 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children—nine girls and six boys. IOM teams were working with local authorities to provide emergency assistance.
IOM Djibouti chief of mission Alexandre Coissac described the incident as a devastating loss of life and expressed sympathy for survivors and families who had lost relatives or were still awaiting news. He said the tragedy underscored the dangers migrants face on the route across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait toward Yemen and, for some, Gulf countries. The IOM said poverty, insecurity, and the growing effects of climate change drive people to make the journey, despite mounting instability across the Middle East.
Entities: Djibouti, Yemen, Obock, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Alexandre Coissac • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
11-10-2026
At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died after a boat carrying about 305 people capsized while travelling from Djibouti to Yemen, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. More than 116 people remained missing, while over 80 survived; the survivors were all Ethiopian nationals. The boat capsized near Guhere, north of the Djiboutian port town of Obock, during the night of 8–9 October, according to accounts from survivors. The 109 recovered victims included 52 men, 42 women and 15 children—nine girls and six boys.
IOM teams are working alongside local authorities to provide emergency assistance. Djiboutian authorities continue search-and-rescue operations, provide medical care to survivors and arrange burials. IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti Alexandre Coissac said the disaster highlights the risks migrants face along the route as they seek economic opportunities. The Ethiopian and Djiboutian governments had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
The article places the shipwreck amid worsening regional instability. Yemen is seeing its most serious escalation in fighting between Saudi Arabia-backed government forces and the Iran-backed Houthis since a UN-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022. The renewed conflict could alter control in Yemen and affect Red Sea shipping lanes. IOM reported that displacement linked to the crisis had climbed to 200,000, up from 76,000 in mid-September. More than 3,700 people had fled Yemen by sea to Djibouti by the previous week. Separately, fighting broke out in Ethiopia last month in the biggest escalation of violence there since the Tigray war.
Entities: International Organization for Migration (IOM), Alexandre Coissac, Djibouti, Yemen, Guhere • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
11-10-2026
At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, died when a boat carrying about 305 people capsized off Djibouti’s northern coast while travelling toward Yemen. The vessel overturned near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock, during the night of October 8 into October 9, according to survivor accounts reported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). More than 80 people survived, and the IOM said all identified survivors were Ethiopian. The agency increased its initial death toll of 109 after 30 additional bodies were recovered. Among the first 109 bodies found were 52 men, 42 women and 15 children; more than 80 people remained missing at the time of the report.
Djiboutian authorities continued search-and-rescue operations, while the IOM provided survivors with medical care, emergency assistance and burial arrangements. IOM chief of mission in Djibouti Alexandre Coissac said the disaster underscored the risks migrants face as they travel along the route in search of economic opportunities.
The report links the tragedy to renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. The IOM recorded more than 20,000 movements into Djibouti from Ethiopia since September 10. Each year, tens of thousands of people from the Horn of Africa pass through Djibouti and cross the Bab Al Mandeb strait to Yemen, hoping to reach Gulf countries, despite conflict along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The article also notes that more than 3,700 people had fled fighting in the opposite direction, crossing from Yemen to Djibouti.
Entities: Djibouti, Guhere, Obock, Ethiopia, Tigray region • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
