38 migrants dead as boat sinks off coast of Djibouti: UN migration agency

By Mohamed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – The bodies of 38 migrants have been recovered after a shipwreck off the coast of the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, the UN migration agency said on Tuesday.

In a brief statement, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that there were 22 survivors and that at least six missing people have been presumed dead.

Jose Barahona, the UN resident coordinator in Djibouti, said the magnitude and tragedy of migration across Djibouti is “enormous” and “we cannot wait for Djibouti to manage it completely.”

“The solidarity of the international community is necessary,” he added.

The Ethiopian Embassy in Djibouti said that all the 60 migrants on board the ship were Ethiopian nationals.

IOM said nearly 1,000 dead and missing migrants have been recorded by the Missing Migrants project in Eastern Route since 2014.

Djibouti, bordering Somalia in the south and the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in the east, is a small country located in the Horn of Africa.