At least 38 migrants have died after their ship ran into trouble off the coast of Djibouti, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The IOM said Tuesday six other people were missing and presumed dead, while 22 others were rescued from the shipwreck.

IOM spokesperson Yvonne Ndege told DW that it appears that the vessel originated in Yemen, carrying migrants from the Horn of Africa, primarily Somalia and Ethiopia, who were trying to get back to Djibouti.

She explained that tens of thousands of migrants leave Djibouti to try to get to Saudi Arabia via Yemen. But in this particular situation, Ndege said, the migrants probably couldn't quite make it across the Saudi border.

"The rescue and recovery operation is still ongoing, but it seems very unlikely that migrants who perished in this latest tragedy will actually be found alive," she said.

Djibouti on a popular route to Gulf nations

Migrants take the so-called "Eastern Route" across the Red Sea and through war-torn Yemen to reach Saudi Arabia to pull their families out of grinding poverty.

The IOM says the route is dangerous as traffickers target migrants, and they face kidnap, arbitrary arrest, and forced recruitment into warring groups, particularly in Yemen.

lo/wmr (AFP, Reuters)