Djibouti boat capsize kills 139 migrants, 84 missing, UN says

· Politics · Yemen

At least 139 migrants, including at least 15 children, died and about 84 are missing after a boat carrying more than 300 people capsized while sailing from Djibouti to Yemen, the UN's International Organization for Migration said Sunday. The boat overturned near the port town of Obock on Thursday night. It was carrying 305 people when it capsized. The route from Djibouti to Yemen across the Gulf of Aden is used by migrants and refugees seeking work in the Gulf, and the crossing is among the world's deadliest.

Why it matters：The disaster underscores the dangers of the Gulf of Aden migration route and the scale of irregular migration driven by conflict and poverty in the Horn of Africa.

Key points

  • The boat was carrying 305 people when it capsized near Obock on Thursday night.
  • At least 15 children were among the dead.
  • The Djibouti-to-Yemen route is a major crossing for migrants seeking work in the Gulf.

Sources (original reporting)

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