The ill-fated ship capsized off the coast of Godolia, near the coastal town of Obock, northeastern Djibouti.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) today reported that a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, killing at least 24 people and leaving 20 missing.
On April 22, the boat carrying at least 77 migrants departed from Ras Allah off the coast of Yemen and subsequently capsized near the coastal town of Obok in Djibouti. The other 33 migrants on board survived the accident and are currently receiving medical care, food, shelter and psychosocial support at the IOM Migrant Response Centre in Obock. Local authorities are still conducting search and rescue operations in the hope of finding more survivors.
Two weeks ago, a similar tragedy occurred in the same region, killing at least 38 migrants.
Irregular route immigration
"Two such tragedies in two weeks highlight the dangers faced by children, women and men who migrate through irregular routes, and the importance of establishing safe and legal migration pathways," said Pacifico, head of the IOM office in Djibouti. ”
In both cases, the migrants had hoped to travel to Saudi Arabia, where they would find jobs and better opportunities. After failing to do so, he attempted to return to Djibouti from Yemen, only to be distressed on the way.
Every year, thousands of people from the Horn of Africa, particularly from Ethiopia and Somalia, leave the continent through Djibouti in an attempt to travel to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. However, many people do not make it to their destination. As a result, thousands of people are trapped in Yemen and forced to experience extremely poor living conditions.
Big challenge
The International Organization for Migration, as the coordinating agency of the United Nations Migration Network, has been working to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in distress and to help missing migrants and their families.
According to the International Organization for Migration, a total of 3,682 migrants have left Yemen for Djibouti since the beginning of 2024, more than double the figure for the same period last year. This dramatic increase is due to the great challenges and difficulties they encountered in Yemen and in their arrival in Saudi Arabia.
In 2023, around 380,000 people embarked on migration journeys along the Eastern Corridor from the Horn of Africa to the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, despite the life-threatening risks. At least 1,350 people have been killed, and many more are unaccounted for.
