At least 139 people are dead, including 15 children, after a boat carrying 305 migrants capsized near the town of Obock, Djibouti, the International Organisation for Migration has confirmed.
Eighty-four people are still missing. Only 82 survivors have been accounted for. The boat was en route from Djibouti to Yemen on the night of October 8th when it went down.
Photos from the scene show tiny shoes washing up on the shore. The IOM’s Chief of Mission in Djibouti calls the tragedy a “stark reminder” of the dangers migrants face on this route.
Despite the ongoing war in Yemen, thousands continue to flee drought and conflict in Ethiopia, hoping to eventually reach wealthy Gulf nations.
Djiboutian authorities are currently on the ground providing medical care to survivors and conducting search and rescue operations.
This disaster comes as the IOM reports a sharp 18% increase in migrant deaths along this specific route over the last year.
