The death at sea of migrants and
refugees crossing the Mediterranean in search of safety and a
better life in Europe is an "open wound on our humanity", Pope
Francis said on Sunday.
"Another tragic shipwreck happened a few days ago in the
Mediterranean: 41 people lost their lives, I prayed for them,"
the pope told crowds of faithful gathered in St Peter's Square
for the Sunday Angelus prayer and blessing.
"With pain and shame we must say that already almost 2,000 men,
women and children have died in this sea trying to reach Europe
since the beginning of the year.
"It is an open wound on our humanity," he added.
On Wednesday survivors of a shipwreck that occurred in the
Central Mediterranean between August 3 and 4 reported that 41
people including three children remained missing.
The survivors, an unaccompanied 13-year-old child, a woman and
two men, were rescued by a merchant ship and brought to safety
in Lampedusa by the Italian Coast Guard.
As of August 13, 2,175 people were reported dead or missing in
the Mediterranean since the start of 2023, according to UNHCR
figures.
This compares to 2,438 over the same period in 2022.
Of the total, 1,361 died or went missing on the Central
Mediterranean route.
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