At least 34 migrants dead as boat capsizes off Djibouti, IOM says

The boat, which was being controlled by people smugglers, is believed to have been carrying 60 passengers, IOM said on its Twitter feed, without providing further details such as when the incident occurred. Drownings have become common in the waters off Djibouti, and typically involve migrants from Ethiopia or Somalia trying to escape poverty and war at home by finding work in Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.

At least 34 people drowned when a boat carrying migrants from Yemen capsized off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Monday. The boat, which was being controlled by people smugglers, is believed to have been carrying 60 passengers, IOM said on its Twitter feed, without providing further details such as when the incident occurred.

Drownings have become common in the waters off Djibouti, and typically involve migrants from Ethiopia or Somalia trying to escape poverty and war at home by finding work in Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. They include would-be migrants who have become stranded in Yemen after failing to cross into Saudi Arabia, sometimes due to coronavirus restrictions, and drown on the return crossing.