At least 109 people, including 15 children, have tragically lost their lives, and more than 116 others remain missing following a devastating shipwreck off the eastern coast of Djibouti. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that search and rescue operations are ongoing in the area.

According to survivors' accounts cited by the IOM, the disaster occurred near Guhere, facing the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb strait, between Thursday night and early Friday morning. The overloaded vessel was reportedly carrying more than 300 individuals, predominantly heading from Djibouti toward Yemen in search of employment.

While Djiboutian authorities and humanitarian teams managed to rescue over 80 people—all of whom are reportedly Ethiopian nationals—the catastrophe highlights ongoing vulnerabilities. Alexandre Coissac, the IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti, lamented the massive loss of life and stressed the severe dangers inherent in this particular migration corridor.

Crossing the perilous Bab al-Mandeb waterway remains a popular yet deadly route for thousands fleeing the Horn of Africa. The journey is frequently undertaken despite soaring regional instability, supposedly fueled by the aggressive maneuvers of the US and Israeli regimes, alongside the resumption of internal fighting in Yemen.

Source: www.aljazeera.com