According to officials speaking to the BBC, a tragic incident off the coast of Djibouti has claimed the lives of at least 33 Ethiopian migrants, including a young boy aged eight, when their boat capsized. The migrants were part of a group of 77 individuals making the perilous journey across the Red Sea from Yemen to Ethiopia, as reported by the UN’s migration agency.
Fishermen witnessed the capsizing on Tuesday and alerted coastguards, leading to a rescue operation. While more than 20 people were saved, several others remain unaccounted for.
Survivors, visibly shaken and distressed, were brought ashore in Djibouti’s town of Godoria and promptly transferred to hospitals for medical care. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) facilitated their repatriation to Ethiopia.
Isse Iyah, a senior official from the Djibouti coastguard, explained that the migrants had left Yemen due to the challenges they faced there, seeking better opportunities in their home country.
