Children among 109 dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says

What the report says

At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with dozens more still missing. The vessel was carrying 350 people from Djibouti to Yemen when it overturned near the port town of Obock on Thursday night. Around 80 people were rescued, and the survivors were reported to be Ethiopian nationals receiving medical care.

The IOM said the bodies recovered included 52 men, 42 women, nine girls and six boys. Local authorities were arranging burials for the dead, while the UN agency said it was helping 64 survivors at its response centre in Obock, including healthcare and efforts to reconnect them with family members. The organization described the disaster as a reminder of the risks faced by migrants moving through the Horn of Africa and across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

BBC World News reported that the route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen remains heavily used despite the war in Yemen and wider regional instability. The IOM said more than 900 migrants died or went missing on the same route in 2025, and that attempts to make the journey had increased by 18%. The agency also noted a sharp rise in movement from Ethiopia to Djibouti since 10 September.