Nine people died and at least 45 others remain missing after a migrant boat capsized off Djibouti’s northern coast, the United Nations migration agency said Thursday.
The International Organization for Migration reported the disaster occurred late on March 24 near Ombok, a remote coastal area frequently crossed by migrant vessels.
The overcrowded boat carried about 320 passengers when it sank, highlighting the perilous journeys migrants undertake across one of the world’s most dangerous maritime corridors.
Rescue operations continued as authorities searched rough waters for survivors, while uncertainty surrounded the nationalities and identities of many people on board.
The agency did not disclose the vessel’s origin or intended destination, though similar routes commonly link the Horn of Africa with Yemen and Gulf countries.
Each year, tens of thousands of migrants, mainly from Ethiopia and Somalia, travel through Djibouti hoping to reach Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
Driven by poverty, conflict and limited economic opportunity, many risk treacherous sea crossings, entrusting fragile boats and smugglers with dreams of employment abroad.
Shipwrecks and disappearances have become a recurring tragedy along these migration routes, where overcrowded vessels and harsh weather frequently turn journeys into disasters.
Humanitarian organisations warn that persistent migration pressures and limited legal pathways continue to push vulnerable people toward increasingly dangerous crossings despite repeated fatal incidents.