A vessel carrying 305 migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti, resulting in at least 139 confirmed deaths, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. The victims included 15 children, identified as nine girls and six boys. The boat was traveling from Djibouti toward Yemen when it sank close to the shore, with the IOM stating the vessel was overcrowded.
The incident occurred between the night of Thursday, Oct. 8, and the morning of Friday, Oct. 9. Alexandre Coissac, the IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti, reported that the migrants boarded the ship on the evening of Oct. 8. Following the capsize, more than 80 survivors, all of whom were identified as Ethiopian nationals, were taken to a rescue center in Obock for medical and psychological treatment.
The official death toll of 139 reflects only the bodies buried by Djibouti authorities. Coissac stated that other victims buried by fellow migrants have not yet been added to the count pending official verification. At least 84 people remain missing as rescue operations continue. The IOM shared video evidence showing personal items, such as shoes, washed up on the beach near Guhere, north of Obock.
This event affects Ethiopian nationals and other migrants from the Horn of Africa who utilize the Eastern Route toward the Arabian Peninsula. According to the IOM, tens of thousands of people travel this corridor annually, primarily seeking employment in Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia. The scale of the danger on this route is documented by the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, which reported that more than 900 migrants died or went missing along this path in the previous year, while the number of people attempting the journey increased by 18%.
For the individuals attempting this crossing, the concrete risks involve travel on overcrowded vessels through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Survivors at the Obock rescue center required treatment for saltwater inhalation and shock, while families of the deceased face the possibility that their relatives will remain unidentified, as many were buried in common graves without names. These migrants are moving toward a region currently experiencing escalated conflict between Houthi rebels and the internationally recognized government in Yemen, a situation that has also caused 2,000 Yemenis to flee to Djibouti in recent weeks.
The incident is one of the deadliest recorded shipwrecks on this specific migration corridor. IOM Director-General Amy Pope stated that the lack of safe and legal pathways contributes to these fatalities and called for increased action from governments and donors. What happens next depends on the ongoing search for the 84 missing passengers and the verification of additional bodies, which could cause the confirmed death toll to rise.