The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated that 289 children died or went missing in the Mediterranean Sea in 2023. In a statement released on Friday, it indicated that these deaths and disappearances occurred as children attempted to cross the sea route to reach Europe. This figure equates to one missing child per week, according to UNICEF, which noted that the total number has reached 1,500 children since 2018. Additionally, this represents one in five of the eight thousand and 274 individuals who have died or gone missing. The organization stated that many of the drowned in the Mediterranean may not be recorded, making it impossible to know the exact number of child victims.
UNICEF estimated that 11,600 children have arrived on the shores of Italy since January of this year, all from the North African coast, which is double the number recorded in 2022. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell expressed that “safe and legal pathways must be created for children to seek asylum, and the root causes that make children risk their lives need to be addressed.” She also pointed out that 3,300 children have been registered in the early months of 2023, arriving without their parents or legal guardians, putting them at greater risk of violence and exploitation. UNICEF did not specify the nationalities of the children in its statement.
