At least 139 people, including 15 children, died when a migrant boat overturned on Thursday night near Djibouti while heading to Yemen.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that 82 Ethiopians survived and 84 people are still missing.
Safiya Ibrahim, a humanitarian response coordinator for the UN agency, said the boat capsized near the port town of Obock.
As search and rescue operations persisted, belongings probably owned by the boat’s passengers were discovered on a beach.
The IOM reports that it is offering support to the survivors, which includes medical care and help in reaching out to their families.
Yemen continues to be mired in a destructive civil war; yet, in spite of the ongoing conflict and increasing instability throughout the broader region, migrants persist in crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
According to the UN agency, each year, tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa undertake this dangerous journey with the aim of finding safety and employment in Gulf countries.
