If the data from the last two shipwrecks were confirmed in 2024, “the number of dead and missing in the central Mediterranean would rise to over 800, an average of almost 5 dead and missing per day since the beginning of the year”. This is what UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the IOM, the International Organization for Migration and the UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, say. They express their “deep condolences for the dozens of victims of two new accidents. in the Mediterranean”. For the three organizations “these umpteenth incidents generate a sense of profound frustration due to the repeated unheard appeals to strengthen resources and capabilities for search and rescue operations at sea in support of the Italian Coast Guard. Each shipwreck represents a collective failure, a tangible sign of the inability of states to protect the most vulnerable people”.
“Three days after World Refugee Day which commemorates the drama of 120 million people forced to flee wars, violence and persecution – they underline – these new incidents at sea, involving refugees and migrants, are more unacceptable than ever” . “In addition to the urgent need for European support for search and rescue operations, it is essential – conclude UNHCR, IOM and Unicef - to promote greater access to safe and regular routes in the European Union for migrant and refugee people, so that they are not forced to risk their lives at sea”
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