Migrant boat tragedy off Djibouti coast leaves 45 dead, 111 missing

NAIROBI, Kenya

At least 45 migrants have died, and 111 are missing after smugglers forced passengers off two boats into the open sea off the coast of Djibouti, the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed on Wednesday.

The tragic incident, described as the second deadliest for migrants crossing from the Horn of Africa to Yemen, occurred near Obock, close to Godoria. According to the UN, 196 people died in June 2024 on the same route.

"This latest double tragedy is the starkest reminder yet of the urgent need to protect and address the needs of migrants along the Eastern Route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen and the Gulf,” said Frantz Celestin, IOM regional director for East, Horn & Southern Africa.

According to survivors, one boat carried 100 migrants while the second held 210. Smugglers forced the passengers to disembark and swim to shore, leading to numerous deaths.

A 4-month-old infant, whose mother drowned, was among the survivors, along with 98 others from the first boat. The fate of many passengers aboard the second vessel, however, remains uncertain.

The UN has indicated that dozens of survivors have been rescued and are receiving medical and psychosocial support, while ongoing search and rescue operations are underway by the Djiboutian Coast Guard to find the missing migrants.

“Hundreds have perished this year. We urge the donor community to continue supporting IOM's efforts to save lives and tackle the underlying causes of the perilous and life-threatening journeys these migrants embark on, as well as to halt their exploitation by smugglers,” Celestin emphasized.

The IOM has said it is supporting state emergency services in search and rescue operations as efforts continue to locate the missing migrants.