The boat was packed with nearly 300 migrants when it left the port city of Obock in Djibouti for Yemen on Tuesday, according to the UN migration organization IOM.
The boat capsized and sank. At least nine people died and about 45 are missing. A search operation is underway to find possible survivors, according to Tanja Pacifico, IOM representative in Djibouti.
"But there are rough seas and very strong winds. This route is known for its high mortality rate," she said at a UN briefing via video link.
Several thousand migrants have died at sea between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula in recent years.
