At least 139 migrants die in boat wreck between Djibouti and Yemen

What the report says

France 24 Africa reported that at least 139 migrants died and 84 others were missing after an overcrowded boat sank in the Gulf of Aden on the night of October 8-9, while traveling from Djibouti toward Yemen. The International Organization for Migration said the vessel capsized off the coast north of Obock, a town in Djibouti, and that most of those aboard were Ethiopian. The dead included 15 children.

The disaster underscores the risks faced by migrants using the route across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which has long been used by people from the Horn of Africa seeking to reach Yemen and beyond. In this case, the available reporting does not specify how many survivors were rescued or the exact cause of the sinking. The account was attributed to France 24 correspondent Morgan Ayre.

The timing of the wreck, reported on October 12, 2026, also highlights the continued vulnerability of migrants on crowded and poorly equipped boats in one of the region’s most dangerous crossings. More broadly, humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that these journeys can turn deadly because of rough seas, overloading and limited rescue capacity, though that context is general background rather than a detail provided in the report.