- 139 migrants, including children, died after a boat capsized off Djibouti.
- Local authorities were overwhelmed with bodies coming to shore, according to Coissac.
- Surviving migrants were brought to the IOM rescue center in Obock for medical assistance and psychological support.
- Coissac described survivors as "all in a state of shock."
- The IOM reported that over 900 migrants died or went missing along the route last year.
- Coissac described the burials as "terrible" and said the victims were buried "with no names, in a common grave, like in a war situation."
At least 139 migrants, including children, have died after a boat capsized off Djibouti, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The vessel, carrying 305 people, sank shortly after departure on the night of October 8, primarily due to overcrowding.1
More than 80 survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, were rescued, but 84 people remain missing, marking one of the deadliest shipwrecks on the perilous route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen. Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti, noted that local authorities were overwhelmed by the influx of bodies, stating, "The local authorities did their best, but they were overwhelmed with all the bodies that kept coming at once towards the shore."2
The IOM reported that among the deceased were nine girls and six boys, with many buried in unmarked graves. Coissac lamented, "What is terrible is that they were buried with no names, in a common grave, like in a war situation." He emphasized the need for safe migration pathways, urging governments to act before more lives are lost, stating, "No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way."
Last year, over 900 migrants died or went missing along this route, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis faced by those seeking better opportunities in the Gulf nations.5
“IOM Chief of Mission Alexandre Coissac said victims were buried "with no names, in a common grave, like in a war situation," and survivors at the Obock rescue center are "all in a state of shock." Over 900 migrants died or went missing along the route last year, according to IOM's Missing Migrants Project.”
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