At least 139 migrants die after boat capsizes off Djibouti coast

Oct 10, 2026

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, died and 84 remain missing after an overcrowded boat carrying 305 passengers capsized off Djibouti near Obock during the night of October 8-9, 2026. Eighty-two Ethiopian survivors were rescued. The International Organization for Migration and local authorities are providing medical care, shelter, and burial arrangements while search operations continue along the perilous Eastern Route to Yemen.

Casualties and survivors of the capsizing

▪At least 139 migrants died and 84 remained missing after an overcrowded boat carrying over 300 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti during the night of October 8-9, 2026
▪Recovered bodies from the October 8-9, 2026 shipwreck near Guhere, north of Obock, Djibouti included 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children comprising nine girls and six boys
▪Eighty-two passengers, all Ethiopian nationals, survived the October 8-9, 2026 vessel capsizing off the Djibouti coast

Circumstances of the capsizing

▪A migrant vessel carrying 305 people capsized near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock in Djibouti, on October 8-9, 2026, while sailing across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait toward Yemen
▪Alexandre Coissac stated that 150 people on the boat that capsized off Djibouti had previously been turned back from Yemen before attempting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait crossing again
▪International Organization for Migration Chief of Mission in Djibouti Alexandre Coissac stated that passengers reported the boat that capsized off Djibouti began sinking backwards immediately upon boarding

Rescue and relief efforts

▪The International Organization for Migration provided healthcare, psychosocial aid, temporary shelter, food, and family contact services to 64 shipwreck survivors at its Obock centre
▪Djiboutian authorities conducted search-and-rescue operations and provided medical care while arranging official burials for victims recovered from the October 8-9, 2026 boat capsizing near Obock

Calls for action on irregular migration

▪African Union Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf urged action to address root causes of irregular migration and combat migrant trafficking following the October 8-9, 2026 Djibouti shipwreck
▪International Organization for Migration Director General Amy Pope called on governments and donors to establish safe, legal pathways to prevent recurring maritime migration fatalities

Escalating conflict in Ethiopia

▪Fighting broke out in Ethiopia's Tigray region on September 23, 2026, marking the largest escalation of violence in Ethiopia since the 2020-2022 Tigray war
▪Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic relations following accusations that Eritrea supported a rebel alliance seeking to overthrow the Ethiopian government, which Eritrea denied
▪Tigray residents reported that Tigrayan rebels forcibly recruited young men into defense forces, though rebel representatives denied conducting forced recruitment

Drivers of migration from Ethiopia

▪An International Organization for Migration survey from 2024 found 89 percent of Eastern Route migrant movements through Djibouti to Yemen were driven by economic reasons and 7 percent by conflict or persecution
▪Ethiopian migrants interviewed in an International Organization for Migration situation report on Djibouti from September 20-30, 2026, cited severe drought conditions and difficult living standards as reasons for fleeing Ethiopia
▪The International Organization for Migration identified poverty, insecurity, and climate change impacts as persistent factors driving migration from the Horn of Africa across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Ethiopian migration volume in 2026

▪International Organization for Migration tracking recorded 178,000 migrant arrivals in Djibouti from Ethiopia between January 2026 and October 2026
▪The International Organization for Migration recorded over 20,000 migrant movements from Ethiopia into Djibouti between September 10, 2026 and October 11, 2026

Migration risks on the Eastern Route

▪The International Organization for Migration reported that over 900 migrants died or went missing on the sea route to Yemen in 2025 as travel volume rose 18 percent
▪Tens of thousands of Horn of Africa migrants cross Djibouti annually along the Eastern Route toward Yemen aiming to reach Gulf states for employment

Debatable claims

▪Economic hardship is the primary driver of Ethiopian migration through Djibouti
▪Governments and donors should establish legal migration pathways to prevent Eastern Route fatalities
▪Smuggling networks bear primary responsibility for recurring migrant fatalities off Djibouti