Nearly 1,000 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean this summer, three times more than last summer

The number of migrants who died or disappeared while attempting to cross the Mediterranean this summer is three times higher than over the same period last year, Unicef ​​warned in a press release on Friday September 29. Between June and August 2023, “at least 990 people, including children” were shipwrecked in the central Mediterranean, compared to 334 people during the summer of 2022.

If the total share of children is not quantified, it is 11,600 “unaccompanied minors” who tried to go to Italy between January and mid-September aboard makeshift boats, i.e. 60% more than over the same period in 2022 (7,200), according to Unicef.

“The Mediterranean has become a cemetery for children”

“The Mediterranean has become a cemetery 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 failing migration system”estimated Regina De Dominicis, who coordinates the subject at Unicef.

Since the start of the year, more than 2,500 exiled died or went missing after trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.