"Buried in a mass grave, without names": 139 migrants drown en route to Yemen, dozens missing

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, drowned off the coast of Djibouti when their ship sank en route to Yemen. 82 survived, 84 are missing. Most passengers were Ethiopian citizens fleeing renewed fighting in Tigray. A senior UN official described burial in a mass grave without identification.

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, were killed in a shipwreck off the coast of Djibouti as they attempted to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on their way to Yemen and onward to Gulf states. The vessel carried 305 people, most of them Ethiopian citizens fleeing renewed fighting in the Tigray region. Only 82 survived, and 84 others are listed as missing. The disaster occurred overnight between Thursday and Friday, near the village of Godoria. Alexandre Koassak, head of the International Organization for Migration mission in Djibouti, said the ship was overloaded beyond capacity and began sinking shortly after departure. He described how local authorities were overwhelmed by bodies washing ashore, and that some of the deceased were buried in a mass grave without identification. IOM Director General Amy Pope called for creating safer migration pathways. According to UN data, more than 900 people have died or been listed as missing on the eastern route during 2025.