The number of deaths of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean so far this year has exceeded 2,000, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday, stressing the need for urgent action to tackle the situation.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th November, 2018) The number of deaths of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean so far this year has exceeded 2,000, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday, stressing the need for urgent action to tackle the situation.
"Some 17 people have been found dead this week off the Spanish coast, meaning that the number of lives lost on the Mediterranean this year has now exceeded 2,000 ... The 2,000 drownings mean that the rate of deaths, particularly in the Central Mediterranean, has escalated sharply," UNHCR spokesperson Charlie Yaxley said at a press briefing.
In September, one in eight people died crossing the Mediterranean, mostly due to lower search and rescue capacity, the spokesperson added.
"In light of this, UNHCR continues to be very concerned about the legal and logistical restrictions that have been placed on a number of NGOs wishing to conduct search and rescue (SAR) operations, including the Aquarius. These have had the cumulative effect of the Central Mediterranean currently having no NGO vessels conducting SAR," he underlined.
Yaxley welcomed the rescue efforts of the Libyan Coast Guard (LCG), which is responsible for search and rescue coordination in the Mediterranean in an area of around 100 miles, but stressed that other rescue vessels should be allowed to come to the aid.
"The largest proportion of deaths have been reported in crossings to Italy, which account for more than half of all deaths reported this year so far, despite Spain having become the Primary destination of those newly arrived. More than 48, 000 people have arrived there by sea, compared to around 22,000 in Italy and 27,000 in Greece," the spokesperson pointed out.
European countries have been experiencing a large-scale migration crisis since 2015 due to the influx of thousands of people fleeing crises in the middle East and North Africa. These migrants are trying to reach wealthy EU countries through various routes, including via Italy, Greece, Turkey and the Balkans.
