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At least 139 migrants died, including 15 children, and 84 went missing when an overcrowded boat sank while heading from Djibouti to Yemen, a UN agency said yesterday.The vessel was carrying 305 people, most of them Ethiopian, when it capsized north of the Djibouti town of Obock on the night of October 8-9, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement.  “Survivors told me that the boat started to sink backwards as soon as they got in it,” Alexandre Coissac, IOM chief of mission in Djibouti, told AFP.“This is a devastating loss of life,” he said earlier in the statement.  “Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives.”The IOM gave an initial toll of 109 dead and 116 missing, and revised it to 139 dead and 84 missing in a later statement after more bodies were recovered.  Coissac said IOM teams were on the ground alongside Djiboutian authorities to provide emergency aid: “This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities” by trying to cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Yemen and then reach Gulf countries.  Coissac said he had spoken to one survivor of the wreck who came from the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, where rebels are battling the federal government in a recent flare-up of violence.Among the 109 bodies earlier recovered were 52 men, 42 women and 15 children — nine girls and six boys — the initial statement said.Eighty-two people survived the shipwreck, all Ethiopian nationals, according to the updated toll.  “Poverty, insecurity and the growing impacts of climate change drive many to undertake this journey, despite mounting instability across the Middle East,” the IOM said.The IOM said it was assisting 64 survivors at a migrant centre in Obock.  “Djiboutian authorities are continuing search and rescue operations as fears grow for those still missing.”  It called it “one of the deadliest shipwrecks recorded” on the route.  IOM spokesman Kennedy Omondi Okoth told AFP this week that 178,000 people had arrived in Djibouti from Ethiopia from January to October this year.Since September 10, the IOM detected more than 20,000 crossings to Djibouti from Ethiopia, despite a surge in conflict in Yemen.  The country is stricken by fighting between the Saudi-backed government and Tehran-backed Houthi rebels, who have joined in the regional conflict involving the US and its allies against Iran.  Coissac said 150 of the people on the boat that sank off Djibouti had previously been turned back from Yemen but had attempted the crossing again. In 2025, more than 900 migrants died or went missing along the sea route to Yemen and the number attempting the journey increased by 18 %, the IOM said.  A shipwreck in March 2026 left nine people dead and 45 missing. Okoth said most of the people attempting the journey were from Ethiopia or Somalia. He said many of them were ending up “stranded” in Djibouti.“No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope in a statement.  “We cannot keep treating these deaths as normal. Safe and legal pathways save lives. I am asking governments and donors to act before the next boat goes down.”The IOM urged “donors and partners to strengthen support for Djibouti’s response, including search and rescue operations and life-saving assistance”.  The African Union Commission chairman expressed his “profound sorrow over the tragic loss of life” in a statement. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf also stressed the urgent need to “address the root causes of irregular migration, combat migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, and promote safe, orderly and regular migration”. 

Despite exceptional challenges, Qatar Charity (QC) laid the foundation stone for the “Ahl Qatar Village” project in Damerjog, on the outskirts of Djibouti City, under the patronage of Amina Abdi Aden, Minister of the City, Urban Planning and Housing, Djibouti.The project includes the construction of 80 housing units for targeted families, the expansion of three classrooms at a local primary school, and the establishment of a mosque and a Qur’an memorisation centre.The project is expected to benefit approximately 3,500 residents of Damerjog. It reflects Qatar Charity’s commitment to sustainable development and improving the living conditions of vulnerable communities, with social housing as a key pillar of long term stability.The foundation‑laying ceremony was attended by several senior officials, including Mohammed al‑Derham, chargé d’affaires of the embassy of Qatar in Djibouti; Ghada Ezzeldin Ahmed, country director of Qatar Charity’s Djibouti branch; and Hassan Dabaleh Ahmed, Prefect (governor) of the Arta region. Also present were Abdourahman Ali Ahmed, director general of the Urban Rehabilitation and Social Housing Agency; and Abdelkarim Mahmoud Hassan, secretary‑general of the Ministry of the City, Urban Planning and Housing.The project aims to provide a safe and dignified living environment that strengthens social and economic stability for the most vulnerable Djiboutian families, reflecting Qatar Charity’s conviction that decent housing is essential to building cohesive and productive communities.Abdi Aden underscored the importance of social housing projects as a key pillar of social and economic development, noting their role in ensuring stability and dignified living conditions for low‑income families, expressing her appreciation to the State of Qatar for its continued support of development initiatives in Djibouti.For her part, Ahmed said the project will have a direct impact on beneficiaries by moving families from precarious housing to safe homes that strengthen family and social stability. She noted that the mosque and Qur’an centre will help promote educational and ethical values while supporting local development, adding that the project reflects Qatar Charity’s partnership‑based approach and close cooperation with the Ministry of the City, Urban Planning and Housing to ensure alignment with national plans and long‑term sustainability. 

Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation and Government Spokesperson Abdoulkader Houssein Omar has said that the two memorandums of understanding (MoU) signed between Qatar and Djibouti regarding the establishment of a joint committee for co-operation and holding political consultations on issues of common interest represent an important step towards strengthening the strategic partnership and bilateral co-operation between the two countries in various fields. In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) during his visit to Qatar, he said that the two MoUs aim to establish an institutional framework for co-operation through a joint committee and periodic consultations between the two foreign ministries. This will enhance communication and co-ordination and provide a platform for monitoring the implementation of joint agreements and initiatives, thus supporting fraternal relations between the two countries at all levels. He explained that the areas of infrastructure, energy, health, and education represent priorities for co-operation between Djibouti and Qatar in the coming period. He noted that investment in major development projects and the exchange of technical expertise constitute a fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable economic growth and comprehensive development in Djibouti. In his assessment of the level of political relations between the two countries, the minister stressed that these relations are strong and distinguished, reflecting mutual respect and a shared desire to develop the partnership. He noted that the next steps will include enhancing political co-ordination through periodic consultations, exchanging visits by senior officials, and expanding areas of co-operation on regional and international issues of common interest. Regarding developments in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region, he stated that Djibouti appreciates the positive role played by Qatar in supporting stability and development in the region, whether through humanitarian and development initiatives or mediation and conflict resolution efforts. He emphasised that co-operation with the State of Qatar contributes to strengthening economic and political security and supporting joint development projects. He expressed Djibouti’s pride in the strong fraternal relations with Qatar, looking forward to continuing to develop bilateral co-operation in the developmental, economic and political fields in a way that serves the interests of the two brotherly peoples and embodies the spirit of brotherhood and solidarity between the two countries.