“At least 73 migrants have disappeared and are presumed dead following a tragic shipwreck off the Libyan coast yesterday,” the IOM said.
The organization added that there were a total of 80 people in the sunken ship and that they were on their way to Europe.
According to the IOM count, this latest tragedy has brought the death toll in the Central Mediterranean, one of the favored routes of migrants trying to reach the European continent, to more than 130 since the beginning of 2023.
In 2022, the IOM recorded more than 1,450 deaths.
The UN organization considers the situation “unacceptable”, recalling: “The Central Mediterranean remains the world’s deadliest sea route for migrants, with the highest number of deaths per year.”
IOM reiterates that “States must take concrete action to increase search and rescue capabilities, open and secure landing mechanisms, and establish safe and regular migration routes to reduce hazardous travel.”
Read more: Earthquake death toll already exceeds 36,000 in Turkey and Syria
In early January, several international NGOs involved in aid operations in the Mediterranean denounced the will of the far-right Italian government to “prevent aid to people in danger”.
They pointed to the mutual effects of a decree forcing ships to stop “immediately” after any rescue in an Italian port, and the usual allocation of outlying ports that would reduce their support capacity.
Source: Ultimahora
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Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
