Geneva/Djibouti – More than 24 migrants are missing and are believed dead following a shipwreck off the coast of Djibouti.  

The tragic incident occurred on Thursday night, 17 August, in Godoria, near the coastal town of Obock, northeast Djibouti. According to the rescued migrants, around 60 migrants were on board the vessel, including 18 women and at least 2 children under 18 years old. Twenty-six migrants have been rescued and 11 bodies recovered so far. The search for survivors and rescue operations are still underway, conducted by the Djiboutian authorities.   

Every year, more than 200,000 migrants make the perilous journey from Djibouti’s coast across the Gulf of Aden where the vessel ran into trouble. According to IOM, deaths along this route have increased in the past months at sea and on land.  According to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, at least 417 people have lost their lives on migration routes in Djibouti since 2014. Despite the dangers, the number of Ethiopian migrants arriving in Djibouti from the Arabian peninsula and from Ethiopia continues to grow.  

“This is a terrible tragedy and a sign of the immense challenges faced by migrants and host communities along this route. IOM is working with the Djiboutian authorities and donors to respond to the needs of those affected by this incident, supporting the local authorities’ efforts,” said IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti, Tanja Pacifico.  

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For more information, please contact: 

In Nairobi: Yvonne Ndege, yndege@iom.int, +254797735977 

In Geneva: Kennedy Okoth; kokoth@iom.int ;  +41227179702