In one of the deadliest maritime disasters recorded along the Horn of Africa, at least 139 migrants have died and 84 remain missing after an overcrowded boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Sunday, October 11, 2026. The vessel was carrying an estimated 305 to 350 passengers when it overturned overnight north of the coastal town of Obock. Djiboutian emergency teams and humanitarian personnel have rescued more than 80 survivors—all confirmed to be Ethiopian nationals—while rescue vessels and coastal patrols continue combing the waters of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for dozens still unaccounted for.

Among the recovered bodies were 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children, including nine young girls. Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti, stated that survivors reported the vessel began sinking backwards almost immediately after departing due to severe overloading. Coissac noted that roughly 150 of the passengers had previously been turned back from Yemen but attempted the crossing again despite the known hazards. In a statement addressing the catastrophe, IOM Director General Amy Pope urged immediate international mobilization, stating: 'No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way. We cannot keep treating these deaths as normal. Safe and legal pathways save lives. I am asking governments and donors to act before the next boat goes down.'

The catastrophe highlights the deepening humanitarian toll along the Eastern Migration Route, where hundreds of thousands of migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia risk crossing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen, seeking employment in Saudi Arabia and the broader Gulf region. Despite intensifying conflict and regional instability in Yemen, IOM data indicates that over 178,000 migrants crossed from Ethiopia into Djibouti between January and October 2026 alone, driven by severe regional economic distress, prolonged drought, and localized conflict. As search operations wind down, international agencies are pressing regional leaders and donor nations to expand search-and-rescue resources and dismantle illicit smuggling networks before seasonal sea conditions claim more lives.