Title: Over 400 Migrants Die While Crossing the Mediterranean in 2023

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, announced on Wednesday that more than 400 migrants and refugees drowned in the early months of 2023 while attempting to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe. The organization documented 441 fatalities between January and March on the migration route that records the highest number of deaths in the world, stating that the actual number is likely higher. It added that about half of these deaths are linked to delays in rescue efforts led by states, while rescue missions were completely absent in one case. IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino stated that "the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean is unbearable.. with over 20,000 deaths recorded on this route since 2014, I fear that these deaths may become normal. States must respond."