The United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Tuesday that at least 21 people have died and 23 others are missing after their boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti in the second such incident in two weeks.
According to Reuters, the organization stated in a post on its platform: "A tragedy occurred due to the capsizing of a boat off the coast of Djibouti carrying 77 migrants, including children. There are at least 28 missing and 16 dead," without specifying the date of the incident.
The local branch of the International Organization for Migration "is supporting local authorities through search and rescue efforts."
Meanwhile, Ethiopian Ambassador to Djibouti, Berhanu Tsegaye, told "X" platform that the boat was carrying Ethiopian migrants from Yemen, and the incident occurred on Monday night off Godoria in northeastern Djibouti.
He added that 33 people, including a woman, survived.
Tanja Pacifico, the representative of the International Organization for Migration in Djibouti, said that rescue efforts resulted in the rescue of 33 people from the water, adding that all the survivors and the dead were Ethiopians.
Pacifico told Reuters in a phone call, "The exceptional thing is the occurrence of another drowning incident of a ship carrying 38 Ethiopian citizens less than two weeks ago."
Pacifico pointed out that the boat that capsized on Tuesday was on its way to Djibouti from Yemen.
She added, "These numbers have increased over the past few months."
The recent incident is part of a series of deadly accidents along what is known as the "Eastern Migration Route."
Another boat carrying more than 60 people capsized off the coast of Godoria on April 8, according to the International Organization for Migration and the Ethiopian Embassy in Djibouti.
At that time, the International Organization for Migration said that the bodies of 38 migrants, including children, were found, while six people were still missing.
The embassy in Djibouti stated that the boat was carrying Ethiopian migrants from Djibouti to Yemen.
Every year, tens of thousands of African migrants embark on a perilous journey across the "Eastern Route" across the Red Sea and Yemen to reach Saudi Arabia, fleeing conflicts or natural disasters, or seeking better economic opportunities.
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