At least 139 people have died and 84 are missing after a boat carrying 305 migrants capsized off Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday 11 October 2026. The boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen. It capsized during the night of 8 to 9 October near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock. The IOM says 82 people were rescued, all Ethiopian nationals. The IOM says 15 of the dead are children, nine girls and six boys.
The toll is not final. The IOM raised it on Sunday from 109 after 30 more bodies were recovered. The missing figure fell from 116 to 84 as bodies were recovered and identified. According to Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti, the 139 figure counts only bodies buried by Djiboutian authorities. Bodies buried by fellow migrants cannot be added until authorities verify them. The toll is expected to rise.
Cause and survivor assistance
No definitive official cause has been announced. Survivors told the IOM that overcrowding was the main factor. Coissac told Agence France-Presse (AFP): "Survivors told me that the boat started to sink backwards as soon as they got in it." He told the Associated Press (AP) the boat sank soon after departure, close to shore, "mainly because it was overcrowded."
According to the IOM, 64 survivors are at its Obock Migrant Response Centre. They are receiving healthcare, psychosocial assistance, protection services, temporary shelter, food and help to contact families. Coissac told AP: "They're all in a state of shock." The IOM says Djiboutian authorities are continuing search-and-rescue operations.
Observers are reading: A reading of which casualty figures are confirmed, which are reported, and which open points could change the toll.
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IOM appeals for support to Djibouti
IOM Director General Amy Pope urged governments and donors to act. The IOM urges donors and partners to strengthen Djibouti's response, including search-and-rescue and life-saving assistance. It also calls for expanded safe migration pathways. All figures are as of 11 October and may change.
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