Boat carrying 77 migrants capsizes off Djibouti coast; 21 dead, 23 missing, says UN agency official

The United Nations migration agency announced on Tuesday that a boat carrying 77 migrants sank off the coast of Djibouti, resulting in 21 deaths and 23 missing persons. This is the second occurrence of its kind in two weeks.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) stated in a post on social media site X that children were among the passengers aboard the boat.

❗️ Tragedy as boat capsizes off #Djibouti coast with 77 migrants on board including children. At least 28 missing. 16 dead. @DjiboutiIOM supporting local authorities with search and rescue effort. pic.twitter.com/s4L7ASNW4o

— IOM - UN Migration News (@UNMigrationNews) April 23, 2024

According to IOM, tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa, particularly from Ethiopia and Somalia, travel via Djibouti on their way to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries in search of employment.

Many fail, and many end themselves stuck in Yemen where they endure substandard living conditions, according to IOM. In the seas around Djibouti, drownings occur often when migrants travel there.

Tanja Pacifico, the head of its Djiboutian office, said Tuesday’s death toll had risen from an earlier figure of 16 IOM had given.

Another 33 people were rescued from the water, she said, adding that they and all the dead were Ethiopians.

“What is exceptional is that is we had another shipwreck with 38 Ethiopian nationals just less than two weeks ago,” Pacifico told Reuters by phone.

At least 38 people, including children, died in that shipwreck off the Djibouti coast.

She said Tuesday’s capsized boat was sailing to Djibouti from Yemen.

“These numbers have been increasing over the past few months,” Pacifico said.