The number of people who have died while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in 2016 has surpassed 5,000 – the worst annual death toll yet seen, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
In the latest incidents it’s estimated that 100 people drowned on 22nd December in two incidents in which rubber dinghies collapsed and those onboard fell into the sea. The Italian Coastguard reported that only 63 of the estimated 120 to 140 on board the first dinghy survived and about 80 from the second dinghy, believed to be carrying about 120 people.
According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, an average of 14 people died every day during 2016, taking the total above 5,000 – significantly more than the 3,771 known casualties in 2015.
UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said last week the latest incidents highlighted the need to increase pathways for the admission of refugees so that they can avoid dangerous journeys and the use of people smugglers. He said a decline seen in the quality of the vessels used by people smugglers, the vagaries of the weather and the tactics used by smugglers to avoid detection might be behind the recent increase in deaths.
“These include sending large numbers of embarkations simultaneously, which makes the work of rescuers more difficult,” he added.
