The first quarter of 2023 has been
the most lethal since 2017 for migrants and refugees trying to
cross the central Mediterranean, the International Organization
for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday.
441 migrants and refugees died in the period January-March in
the attempt to reach safety and a better life in Europe, IOM
said in a statement quoting figures from its Missing Migrants
Project.
"The persisting humanitarian crisis in the central Mediterranean
is intolerable," said IOM Director General, António Vitorino.
"With more than 20,000 deaths recorded on this route since 2014,
I fear that these deaths have been normalized. States must
respond. Delays and gaps in State-led SAR are costing human
lives," he added.
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