More Than 100 Migrants Die in Catastrophic Shipwreck off Djibouti

2026, October 11

Djibouti / Yemen

At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, have died after a boat carrying 305 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti. The International Organization for Migration reported that more than 80 people survived, while at least 116 remained missing as of Sunday. The boat was travelling from Djibouti towards Yemen when the disaster occurred late Thursday or early Friday.

The route across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is regularly used by people from the Horn of Africa seeking employment, safety or better living conditions in Gulf countries. Despite the dangers, migration continues amid poverty, instability and conflict. The latest tragedy highlights the severe risks faced by people travelling in overcrowded vessels along one of the region's most dangerous migration corridors.

Why it matters: The disaster highlights an ongoing humanitarian crisis and the difficulty of protecting vulnerable migrants travelling through conflict-affected regions.

Sources: Associated Press — 109 migrants killed off Djibouti · The Guardian — The deadly migration route to Yemen