At least 109 people, including 15 children, have died and more than 116 others are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to the United Nations migration agency.
In a statement on Sunday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), citing survivors, said the incident occurred near Guhere, off Djibouti's eastern coast facing the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb strait, between Thursday night and before dawn on Friday.
The boat, carrying more than 300 people, was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen. More than 80 people — all of them Ethiopian — survived the capsizing, while Djibouti's search and rescue operations continue.
“Our teams are on the ground with local authorities to provide emergency assistance,” said Alexandre Coissac, IOM's chief of mission in Djibouti, expressing sorrow over the “catastrophic loss of life”.
“This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers migrants face along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities.”
Crossing Bab al-Mandeb, a waterway just 20km (12.4 miles) wide at its narrowest point between Djibouti and Yemen, is a popular but highly dangerous route for thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa.
Many begin the journey in search of work and safety in Gulf countries, despite growing regional instability driven by the US-Israel conflict with Iran and renewed fighting last month between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels.
The IOM said it has recorded “more than 20,000 movements into Djibouti from Ethiopia” since September 10. Last year, more than half a million people attempted to travel this route into Yemen, and at least 900 died or went missing, according to the agency.
Djibouti is not only a departure point for migrants but also a destination for thousands of people fleeing Yemen amid renewed conflict.
