A 305‑person vessel bound from Djibouti to Yemen sank within minutes of leaving port, leaving 139 bodies recovered and 84 missing.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed the tragedy after the boat, overloaded with more than 300 passengers, went down close to the shoreline. Coissac, IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti, said the overcrowding was the chief cause.
Survivors—mostly Ethiopian nationals—were taken to the IOM rescue centre in Obock, where they receive medical and psychological aid. Many are in shock; some have already used phones to call family back home.
The incident underscores the perilous nature of the Bab el‑Mandeb crossing, which sees tens of thousands of Horn of Africa migrants heading to Gulf countries each year, even as fighting escalates across the strait.
IOM Director‑General Amy Pope warned that such deaths should not be treated as normal and urged governments and donors to create safe, legal pathways before another boat sinks.