UN Says Migrant Deaths In Mediterranean Triple In Three Months
… Between June And August, At Least 990 Persons Died Or Went Missing
… 11,600 unaccompanied minors had been among the migrants trying to get to Italy
… Mediterranean has become a cemetery for children – UNICEF
The United Nations report on Friday, revealed that the number of migrants who died or went missing trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea this summer has tripled compared to last year.
According to UNICEF report, between June and August, at least 990 persons died or went missing in the Central Mediterranean route between northern Africa and Europe, compared to 334 deaths over the same months in 2022.
The agency did not give specific number for children dying during the crossings, but said that 11,600 unaccompanied minors had been among the migrants trying to get to Italy on makeshift vessels between January and September, up 60 percent from the first nine months of 2022.
UNICEF coordinator Regina De Dominicis said,
“The Mediterranean has become a cemetery for children and their future,”
“The tragic toll of children dying in search of asylum and security in Europe is the result of political choices and a defective migration system”.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 2,500 migrants died or went missing in the Mediterranean between January 1 and September 24, 50 percent more than in the same period last year.
The increase in migrant deaths comes as European governments have cracked down on migration, making it more difficult for people to reach Europe safely.
This has led to more people taking riskier journeys, thereby, increasing the number of deaths.
The UN and other humanitarian groups have called on European governments to do more to save lives and to provide safe and legal pathways for refugees and asylum seekers.
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