MIDDLE EAST - 139 Drown in Boat Capsize

At least 139 people, including children, have died after a boat carrying 305 migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti in East Africa, the International Organization for Migration said.

Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa travel every year through Djibouti and across the Bab el Mandeb Strait toward Gulf countries in search of safety and economic opportunities, the IOM said in its statement.

“No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said. “We cannot keep treating these deaths as normal. Safe and legal pathways save lives. I am asking governments and donors to act before the next boat goes down.”

Over 900 migrants died or went missing along the route last year, according to IOM’s Missing Migrants Project.

-www.nbcnews.com, 11 October 2026

Commentary: What a tragedy! These migrants were hoping for freedom, security, and a better life. But for over 139 people, their lives ended in the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf).

Immigration has become a contentious issue in many countries around the world.

Here one thing must be mentioned regarding Islamic countries: In the UAE, 88% of its population is foreign-born, followed by Qatar at 77%, Kuwait 73%, Lebanon 26%, and Saudi Arabia 38.8%. Because of political instability (and to a degree, civil war) in the Middle East and North Africa, the goal of the remainder of migrants is Europe.

There are several organizations such as the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), and private NGOs like SOS Humanity, that do anything in their power to rescue migrants during their dangerous journey, though many perish.

When it comes to Europe, we know one thing for sure: Many of these immigrants are confronted with the Gospel for the first time. One report available to us documents:

Germany: Congregations have reported notable numbers of conversions. For example, a single Evangelical-Lutheran church in Berlin reported that roughly 1,200 Muslims (mostly from Iran and Afghanistan) converted over a three-year period. In Hamburg, hundreds of individuals—including Pakistanis and Afghans—have lined up for mass baptisms at local swimming pools and Persian church communities.

The Netherlands and Denmark: Local reports and media coverage indicate growing numbers of Muslim newcomers joining Christian congregations or participating in informal networks of new churches set up for converts.

Britain: Informal church networks and house fellowships have also seen participation from Middle Eastern and South Asian arrivals.

That, for us believers, is the good news. The Church is being built, and with each new soul to be won for Jesus, the spiritual temple hastens toward completion.

(See Democracy Invades Islam, Item #1072, $12.95.)