More than 30,000 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014. Girl rescued from sunken migrant ship in Mediterranean Refugees and Migrants
An 11-year-old girl was rescued from a sunken boat off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday. All 44 people on board, including women and children, are presumed to have drowned, Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and Special Coordinator for Refugees and Migrants in Europe, said in a statement Thursday.
UNICEF said the child was found floating in the middle of the sea at night wearing a life jacket. She had no drinking water or food. A doctor determined she had been in the water for at least 12 hours.
“The girl, originally from Sierra Leone, told rescuers that the boat sank in a storm after leaving Sfax, Tunisia. Her brother and cousin, who were traveling with her, drowned,” said Regina De Dominicis.
It is the third deadly shipwreck in the Mediterranean in recent weeks. More than 30,000 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014, including hundreds of children, who make up a fifth of all refugees migrating along the Mediterranean route. Most are fleeing conflict and poverty.
On behalf of UNICEF, Regina De Dominicis called on governments to use the Pact on Migration and Asylum to strengthen their commitment to protecting children.
“Safe, legal and accessible pathways must be provided for children seeking protection and family reunification,” she said. “Coordinated search and rescue operations at sea, safe disembarkation, community-based reception and access to asylum services are essential to saving children’s lives.”
The UNICEF Representative also called for addressing the root causes that drive families to migrate and facilitating their integration into host communities. “The rights of children on the move must be protected at all times and at all stages of their migratory journey,” she concluded.