24 Migrants Die in Boat Capsize Off Djibouti Coast, UN Agency Reports

At least 24 migrants died and 20 others are missing after a boat carrying over 77 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti on Monday, according to the United Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM). The boat's occupants included children. This is the second such incident in two weeks, as tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa, especially from Ethiopia and Somalia, leave the continent through Djibouti, aiming to reach Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations to find work.

The IOM is providing medical care, food, shelter, and psychosocial support to 33 survivors. The head of the IOM's Djiboutian office stated that the death toll has risen from an earlier figure of 16, and all the dead were Ethiopians. This comes less than two weeks after another shipwreck off the Djibouti coast that killed at least 38 people, including children.

Why this matters: The occurrence of these tragedies highlights the dangers faced by migrants traveling through irregular routes and underscores the importance of establishing safe and legal pathways for migration.

Many migrants fail to reach their destinations, and thousands are stranded in Yemen where they live in harsh conditions. Drownings are common in the waters off Djibouti as the migrants make their journeys. The IOM has stated that these numbers have been increasing over the past few months.

IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix has reported that 3,682 migrants have left Yemen for Djibouti since the beginning of 2024, more than double the figure from last year. Despite the dangerous journey, IOM recorded about 380,000 journeys along the Eastern Corridor from Africa to the Arab Peninsula, which claimed the lives of 1,350 migrants, with many more deaths going unreported.

IOM is working with local authorities and other humanitarian groups to prevent similar deaths and address the plight of missing migrants and their families. "Since the start of 2024, the IOM has reported that 3,682 migrants have left war-torn Yemen for Djibouti, more than double the figure for the same period last year, due to the immense challenges and difficulties in Yemen and in reaching Saudi Arabia," the agency said in a statement.

Key Takeaways

• At least 24 migrants died after a boat capsized off Djibouti, 20 others missing.
• This is the second such incident in two weeks, highlighting dangers of irregular migration.
• IOM is providing aid to 33 survivors and working to prevent similar tragedies.
• 3,682 migrants have left Yemen for Djibouti in 2024, more than double last year.
• Thousands of migrants attempt dangerous journeys from Africa to the Arab Peninsula.