Djibouti: Djibouti Shipwreck - Death Toll Rises to 139 As 84 Remain Missing

What the report says

At least 139 migrants have died after a boat capsized off Djibouti, and 84 people remain missing, according to the UN migration agency, IOM, as reported by UN News and distributed by AllAfrica. The death toll increased after search teams recovered 30 additional bodies. Officials said about 82 people survived.

The vessel was carrying 305 people from Djibouti toward Yemen when it sank near Guehere, north of Obock, in the early hours of Friday. Search and recovery operations were still under way at the time of the report, and Djiboutian authorities were continuing efforts to locate those unaccounted for. IOM also said it was assisting survivors at its migrant response center in Obock with health care, psychosocial support, food, shelter and protection services.

IOM described the disaster as one of the deadliest shipwrecks on the Eastern Route, the migration corridor linking the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The agency and UN officials said the tragedy highlights the dangers faced by people moving through the region and the need for safer migration pathways. The report also noted that Djibouti is seeing significant movement in both directions, with migrants heading toward the Gulf and others arriving from or returning via Yemen amid broader regional instability.