Up to 20,000 people could die crossing the Mediterranean Sea in 2015 if the international community does not take action to stem the flow of migrants, a senior UN official has warned.
Many of the deaths have occurred as a result of unseaworthy boats operated by people traffickers.
During his visit to Paris, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday met with French President François Hollande, to discuss, among other issues the crisis in the Mediterranean, climate change and sustainable development.
The Mediterranean Sea has sadly become “a sea of tears, a sea of misery,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today aboard an Italian naval ship, where he called on the global community to unite and take action to address the root causes of the migrant crisis.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the international community to commit to “swift, collective and courageous action” and address the surge in illegal migration across the Mediterranean Sea which has resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives.
The United Nations refugee agency announced today that it has sent a letter to the European Union asking for a robust search-and-rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea as part of a number of “bold and innovative” solutions to prevent more refugees and migrants losing their lives at sea.
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has urged European nations to ramp up search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea following the region’s first major maritime tragedy this year in which dozens of people perished, apparently from hypothermia.
