According to the UN, at least 289 refugee children died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe in the first half of the year. UNICEF reported today.
This recorded number of victims is twice as high as in the first six months of last year, said the United Nations Children’s Fund. He called for the expansion of safe, legal and accessible avenues for children seeking protection in Europe.
Due to the number of unreported cases, the actual number of children who died while traveling through the central Mediterranean is “likely significantly higher”, according to UNICEF. Many accidents are not recorded.
“We estimate that 11,600 children made the crossing in the first six months of this year – again almost twice as many as in the same period in 2022,” said UNICEF expert Verena Knaus.
In addition, some 3,300 refugee children who traveled across the central Mediterranean in the first three months of this year were registered as unaccompanied or separated from their companions, according to UNICEF. This number is three times higher than the same period last year.