45 migrants die, dozens missing after Djibouti boat mishap

At least 45 migrants have been confirmed dead and dozen others missing after two vessels carrying refugees and migrants sank off coast of Djibouti.

As gathered, both ill-fated boats left Yemen with 320 people on board before sinking in the Red sea.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed the death toll to newsmen, adding that 32 migrants have been rescued from the coast.

“IOM is supporting state emergency services in search and rescue operations,” the organization said through its social media handle yesterday.

According to the Djibouti coast guard the boats sank just 150 metres (492 feet) from a beach near Djibouti’s northwest Khor Angar region.

“We remain committed to finding the missing persons and ensuring the safety of the survivors,” the coastguard said in a statement on social media.

Tens of thousands of people seeking a better future leave from Africa and cross the Red Sea each year in order to reach Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states.

The Humanitarian organizations described this movement as “one of the busiest and arguably most dangerous migration routes in the world”.

Those risking the Red Sea crossing often escaping conflict, political violence and climate change at home are exposed to health risks, violence and exploitation by traffickers en route and in the Gulf countries, the IOM said.

It further recorded that nearly 400,000 people making the Eastern Route crossing in 2023, with almost 700 dying or going missing that year.

In April, at least 38 people, including children, died after their boat sank off the coast of Djibouti as it took the same route across the Red Sea.

Similarly, in June, at least 49 people died, mostly from Ethiopia and Somalia, when their boat sank after setting off from Somalia.