109 Migrants Dead, 116 Missing After Boat Sinks Off Coast of Djibouti

Djibouti, Oct 11 (KUNA) -- Djiboutian media announced on Sunday the “death of at least 109 migrants, including 15 children, and the disappearance of around 116 others after a boat sank off the coast of Djibouti during a voyage bound for Yemen.” Citing a statement from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the media added that “based on testimonies from survivors, the boat, which was carrying 350 people, departed from Djibouti heading for Yemen before capsizing north of the Djiboutian coastal town of Obock.”

For his part, Alexander Kwasak, head of the IOM mission in Djibouti, said in a statement, “This is a devastating loss of life,” adding, “Our hearts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or are still unaware of the fate of their relatives.” He further stated, “This tragedy is a stark reminder of the risks migrants face when undertaking irregular migration in search of economic opportunities,” as migrants attempt to cross the Bab el-Mandeb strait into Yemen.

The IOM clarified that “the 109 recovered bodies belong to 52 men, 42 women, and 15 children, including nine girls and six boys.” It added that “more than 80 people survived the incident, all of them Ethiopian.”

The IOM said that “poverty, insecurity, and the growing impacts of climate change are driving many to undertake this journey, despite escalating unrest across the Middle East.” (End) M.R. / M.A.H.A.