UNHCR Calls for Urgent Action in Mediterranean Amid Soaring Immigration Deaths

Ruven Menikdiwela, the UNHCR New York Director, addressed the UN Security Council in New York, stressing the importance of saving lives and providing aid at sea for immigrants in the Mediterranean. He called on all Mediterranean countries to strengthen their search and rescue efforts. According to UN data, between January and August 2023, over 102,000 people from Tunisia and more than 45,000 from Libya attempted to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. Menikdiwela also noted a significant increase in arrivals in Southern Europe by sea compared to the previous year, with over 2,500 people reported dead or missing by September 2023.