The vessel, which was carrying 350 people from Djibouti to Yemen, capsized north of the Djibouti town of Obock, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“This is a devastating loss of life,” the IOM said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives.”

Alexandre Coissac, IOM chief of mission in Djibouti, said teams were on the ground to provide emergency aid.

“The tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities,” he said.

More than 80 people survived the shipwreck, all of them Ethiopian nationals.

According to IOM figures, more than 900 migrants died or went missing while taking the same route in 2025.

The number of migrants attempting the perilous journey has increased by 18 per cent.

In March 2026, nine people were killed and 45 went missing after a similar incident.

Yemen remains in the grip of a devastating civil war that has lasted more than a decade.

Despite the conflict and instability across the wider region, migrants still try to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen, citing poverty, insecurity and the growing impacts of climate change.

The Houthis have sought to take control of strategically important positions around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The maritime corridor is of vital strategic importance, and the Houthis’ presence could jeopardise safe navigation through it. However, the Yemeni Government says it has “secured” the Strait.

Since September 10, the IOM said its Displacement Tracking Matrix had recorded more than 20,000 ‘movements’ from Ethiopia to Djibouti.

Hundreds of Migrants Feared Dead After Boat Collapses in ‘Devastating Loss of Life’

A major migrant boat disaster has renewed international concern over the dangers faced by people attempting to cross the sea in overcrowded and often unseaworthy vessels. Reports of hundreds of people feared dead after a boat collapsed have prompted renewed calls for urgent rescue operations, stronger action against people-smuggling networks and a coordinated international response to irregular migration.

The phrase “devastating loss of life” captures the scale of the humanitarian concern surrounding such incidents. When a heavily overcrowded boat breaks apart or capsizes, passengers can be thrown into the water with little warning. Many may be unable to swim long distances, while darkness, rough seas and the absence of life-saving equipment can make rescue operations extremely difficult.

The circumstances surrounding any particular disaster must be established by the relevant maritime authorities and humanitarian organisations. The number of people aboard, the number rescued and the confirmed death toll can change as search operations continue. Until officials verify those details, reports of hundreds of deaths should be treated as provisional rather than as a final confirmed figure.

Nevertheless, disasters of this kind expose the dangers of irregular maritime journeys and the difficult choices confronting people who believe that leaving their home country offers their only realistic chance of safety, stability or a better future.