Djibouti, October 11 (TNA) At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti while travelling towards Yemen, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday. More than 116 people remain missing.
The vessel reportedly capsized during the night of October 8–9 near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock. Survivors said the boat was carrying about 350 people when it sank. The bodies recovered so far include 52 men, 42 women and 15 children—nine girls and six boys. More than 80 people survived the shipwreck, all of them Ethiopian nationals, according to the IOM.
Djiboutian authorities continue search-and-rescue operations along the coast, while survivors receive medical treatment and emergency assistance. Authorities are also making arrangements for the dignified burial of those who died.
The IOM said its teams were working alongside local authorities to assist survivors and support the response. It described the incident as a major humanitarian tragedy on a route frequently used by migrants travelling from the Horn of Africa towards Yemen.
The migration agency said poverty, insecurity and the effects of climate change continue to push people to undertake the dangerous journey despite growing instability across the Middle East.