Europe 1 with AFP 10:51 am, September 29, 2023
The number of migrants who died or disappeared trying to cross the Mediterranean this summer is three times higher than in the same period last year, UNICEF warned Friday.Between June and August, at least 990 people were shipwrecked in the central Mediterranean, the world's most dangerous sea route linking North Africa to Europe, compared to 334 migrants who lost their lives over the same period in 2022, according to a statement from the UN children's agency.
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If the total share of children is not quantified (UNICEF has identified a dozen per week in July), it is 11,600 "unaccompanied minors" who tried to go to Italy between January and mid-September aboard makeshift boats, 60% more than over the same period in 2022 (7,200), said the agency to AFP.
Up 50% year-on-year
"The Mediterranean has become a graveyard for children and their future. The tragic toll of children dying in search of asylum and safety in Europe is the result of political choices and a broken migration system," said Regina De Dominicis, who coordinates the subject at UNICEF.
In total, summarized Thursday the UN High Commissioner for Refugees at a meeting of the Security Council devoted to the crisis in the Mediterranean, this brings to more than 2,500 migrants dead or missing between January 1 and September 24, an increase of 50% over one year.