At least 139 people, including children, died when a boat carrying 305 migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti in east Africa, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday. 84 people remain missing, making the incident one of the deadliest shipwrecks on the popular but perilous crossing from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula.
The vessel was traveling from Djibouti to Yemen when it capsized on Thursday night or Friday morning, the IOM reported. More than 80 survivors were all Ethiopian nationals.
Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa travel each year through Djibouti and across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait toward Gulf countries in search of safety and economic opportunities, the IOM said. The movement continues despite newly escalating fighting in Yemen on the other side of the strait.
“This is a devastating loss of life,” said Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti. “This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities.” IOM Director General Amy Pope added, “No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way. We cannot keep treating these deaths as normal. Safe and legal pathways save lives. I am asking governments and donors to act before the next boat goes down.” The IOM’s Missing Migrants Project reported that more than 900 migrants died or went missing along the route last year.
