Djibouti migrant boat capsizes, leaving 139 dead, including 15 children

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died after a boat carrying 305 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

According to The Guardian another 84 people remain missing, while 82 Ethiopian nationals survived the disaster.

The boat overturned near Guhere, north of the fishing town of Obock, during the night of 8-9 October while travelling from Djibouti to Yemen.

The UN migration agency described the incident as one of the deadliest recorded along the eastern migration route connecting the Horn of Africa to the Arabian peninsula.

“This is a devastating loss of life. Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives,” said Alexandre Coissac, IOM's chief of mission in Djibouti.

Authorities are continuing search and rescue operations, while local officials are providing medical treatment to survivors and arranging burials for victims.

The IOM is also providing healthcare, food and psychological support to 64 survivors at its migrant response centre in Obock.

The eastern route is used by hundreds of thousands of migrants annually, mainly from Ethiopia and Somalia, seeking employment and better opportunities in Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia.

However, the journey is extremely dangerous, with migrants facing intense heat, overcrowded boats and the risk of drowning while crossing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.