IOM: Over 1,000 Migrants Have Died Crossing Central Mediterranean This Year
More than 1,000 migrants have died this year while attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday, warning that the death toll continues to rise with each new tragedy.
In the latest incident, over 40 people are feared dead after an inflatable boat capsized off the Libyan coast on November 8. According to the IOM, Libyan authorities launched a search and rescue operation near the Al Buri Oil Field after the vessel, which had departed from Zuwara on November 3, overturned in rough seas. Survivors reported that the boat was carrying 49 people — 47 men and two women — when high waves caused the engine to fail about six hours after departure. Only seven men survived after drifting for six days: four from Sudan, two from Nigeria, and one from Cameroon.
The remaining 42 migrants, including 29 Sudanese, eight Somalis, three Cameroonians, and two Nigerians, are presumed dead. The IOM said its teams provided medical aid, food, and water to the survivors. The agency stressed that this tragedy, following recent deadly incidents off Surman and Lampedusa, highlights the ongoing dangers of the Central Mediterranean Route and renewed its call for stronger regional cooperation, expanded legal migration channels, and improved search and rescue operations to prevent further loss of life.
