Obock, 2 October –– At least 45 people have tragically died and 111 still missing after they were forced off their vessel in open sea by smugglers. The incident that occurred off the coast of Obock, near Godoria involving two boats transporting migrants returning from Yemen.

According to survivors, the first boat carried 100 migrants while the second had 210 on board all returning to Djibouti from Yemen. Migrants were forced by the Yemenite boat operators to disembark in the open sea and swim. One woman drowned, but her 4-month-old infant survived along with 98 others from the first boat.

The International Organization for Migration in Djibouti is supporting state emergency services in search and rescue operations for missing persons. So far, 55 people have been rescued and are receiving medical and psychosocial support. Ongoing search and rescue operations are underway by the Djiboutian Coast Guard to locate the missing migrants.

"This latest double tragedy is the starkest reminder yet of the urgent need to protect and address the needs of migrants along the Eastern Route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen and the Gulf, said Frantz Celestin, IOM Regional Director, East, Horn & Southern Africa. “Hundreds have lost their lives this year. We call on the donor community to continue to support IOM's response, to save lives and address the root causes of the life threatening and dangerous journeys these migrants take. And stop their exploitation by smugglers."  

With this incident, 2024 marks the deadliest year for migrant sea crossings, between the East and Horn of Africa and Yemen. This incident is also the second deadliest on the Eastern Route sea crossing, following the death of 196 people in June 2024, signifying a disturbing trend this year.

IOM in coordination with the Djibouti Government is providing humanitarian assistance and protection interventions including medical assistance, mental health and psychosocial support and safe shelter to the survivors.

Prior to this incident, IOM recorded 124 deaths in 2024 off the coast of Djibouti. Many migrants use this route to leave and return to their countries of origin, particularly Ethiopia and Somalia, with the hope of pursuing better livelihood opportunities in Gulf countries. Thousands remain stranded along the route in extremely difficult conditions and face various forms of violence, exploitation and abuse. This underscores the urgent need for robust measures to protect migrants and prevent future loss of life along this route.

Since 2014, IOM Missing Migrants Project had recorded more than 1,300 cases of migrant deaths due to drowning on the Eastern Route, including 337 from January to August 2024.

Note to Editors:

IOM’s Missing Migrants Project is the only open-access database on migrant deaths and disappearances worldwide and the sole indicator (10.7.3) to measure safe migration in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Click here to support the project.

To support the Djibouti Coast Guard in its search and rescue operations, and with the funding from the Japanese government, IOM Djibouti is implementing a project aimed at optimizing the Djibouti Coast Guard's search and rescue operations to assist migrants in distress, in line with international rescue laws and standards.

Together with 48 other humanitarian and development organizations and governments, IOM coordinates the Regional Migrant Response Plan for the Horn of Africa, Yemen and Southern Africa (MRP) to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of migrants along the Eastern Route. Although MRP partners appealed for USD 112 million, the appeal remains severely underfunded.

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For more information, please contact:

In Djibouti: Eva Sibanda, esibanda@iom.int, and Kaousar Saad ksaad@iom.int

In Nairobi: Yvonne Ndege, yndege@iom.int

In Geneva: Kennedy Okoth, kokoth@iom.int