DJIBOUTI CITY – Authorities in Djibouti are winding down search-and-rescue operations following a tragic shipwreck that has left nine migrants dead and 45 others missing in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The vessel, which was carrying more than 300 Ethiopian nationals toward Yemen, capsized late last week, marking the first major maritime disaster of 2026 in the region.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is currently providing medical and psychological support to 120 survivors at its center in Obock.
The tragedy underscores the “Eastern Route” as one of the most dangerous migration paths in the world. Despite the war in Yemen, tens of thousands of Horn of Africa residents attempt the crossing annually, driven by climate-induced drought and economic hardship.
“This is a humanitarian emergency that the world continues to ignore,” said an IOM representative. Politically, the nation remains stable but tense, following the recent election that extended the long-standing rule of President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh.
