Deaths on the migration routes within and from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in 2022 also recorded the highest number since 2017. According to IOM figures, at least 1,874 people died or went missing in the first six months of 2023 in the Mediterranean Sea. In 2017, at least 2,278 migrants drowned on the three Mediterranean sea routes, compared to 2,946 in 2016, according to the data. In total, at least 27,633 people have died on the Mediterranean sea routes since 2014. As many as 84 per cent of those who perished along sea routes remain unidentified, leaving desperate families in search of answers.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 06, 2023 16:37 UTC