Over 24 migrants feared dead after shipwreck in Djibouti

More than 24 migrants are feared dead after a shipwreck in Godoria, near the coastal town of Obock, northeast of Djibouti.

The incident was said to have occurred on the night of Thursday, August 17,2023.

IOM Djibouti disclosed this in a statement posted on its official website.

The statement reads: “The tragic incident happened on the night of Thursday August 17 in Godoria, near the coastal town of Obock, northeast of Djibouti. According to the rescued migrants, around 60 of them were on board the ship, including 18 women and at least 2 young people under the age of 18. 11 bodies have been recovered so far. 26 migrants were rescued. The search for survivors and rescue operations are still ongoing, led by the Djiboutian authorities.”

The statement noted that more than 200,000 migrants make the perilous journey from the coast of Djibouti to the Gulf of Aden, where boats encounter difficulties each year. According to the IOM, the number of deaths along this route has increased in recent months, at sea and on land. According to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, at least 417 people have lost their lives on migration routes in Djibouti since 2014. Despite the dangers, the number of Ethiopian migrants arriving in Djibouti from the Arabian Peninsula and Ethiopia continues to increase.

“This is a terrible tragedy and a sign of the immense challenges faced by migrants and host communities along this route. IOM is working with the Djiboutian authorities and donors to meet the needs of those affected by this incident, supporting the efforts of local authorities,” said Tanja Pacifico, IOM Djibouti Chief of Mission.