A report released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) of the United Nations today in Geneva indicated that more than one third of migrants who have died on migration routes are from countries experiencing conflicts or with large numbers of refugees. The report, based on data from the Missing Migrants Project established in 2014, noted that over two thirds of recorded migrant deaths remain unidentified. The organization has information indicating that nearly 5,500 females have died on migration routes over the past decade, and the number of identified children is approximately 3,500.
The report documented over 63,000 cases of death and disappearance during migration in the last decade, with a higher number of deaths recorded in the year 2023 compared to any previous year. It explained that drowning is the leading cause of death, with nearly 60% of documented deaths during migration related to drowning, including more than 27,000 deaths in the Mediterranean Sea alone.
The report warned that the number of migrant deaths is on the rise, noting that 2023 saw the highest death toll of migrants in a single year ever recorded, with over 8,500 fatalities documented. It also indicated that the situation in the current year of 2024 remains equally concerning.
