Children among 109 dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says

11 October 2026, 13: 05 BST. Updated 8 minutes ago.

Key points

• Since 10 September, the IOM remarked its Displacement Tracking Matrix has observed more than 20, 000 "movements" from Ethiopia to Djibouti.
• When it capsized near the port town of Obock on Thursday night, the boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen with 350 individuals on board.
• In March 2026, nine individuals were killed and 45 were missing after a similar incident.
• In an official note on Friday, the organisation remarked 52 men, 42 women, nine girls and six boys were among the bodies recovered.
• IOM's Djibouti mission chief Alexandre Coissac called the tragedy a "stark reminder" of the dangers migrants face while seeking a new life elsewhere.

At least 109 migrants including 15 children have died and dozens more are still missing after a boat sank off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has remarked.

When it capsized near the port town of Obock on Thursday night, the boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen with 350 individuals on board. Around 80 individuals were rescued, the IOM stated.

Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa create the perilous journey each year hoping to reach Gulf countries for safety and work, according to the UN agency.

In an official note on Friday, the organisation remarked 52 men, 42 women, nine girls and six boys were among the bodies recovered. "This is a devastating loss of life, " Coissac remarked.

"Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives, " he continued.

While the survivors – all Ethiopian nationals – have medical care readily available to them, local authorities are additionally arranging burials for those who have died.

Yemen remains engulfed in a devastating civil war which has lasted more than a decade. Despite this conflict – and growing instability throughout the wider region – migrants still cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen driven by poverty, insecurity and the growing impacts of climate change.

IOM remarked it is providing assistance to 64 of the survivors at its response centre in Obock, including healthcare and backing to "restore contact with their families".

In practice, the UN agency is working in "close collaboration" with local authorities to support migrants and "prevent deaths at sea and on land", it went on.

According to IOM figures, more than 900 migrants died or went missing taking the same route in 2025, with an 18% growth in the number of residents attempting the journey.

In short, children among 109 dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.