Twenty-seven migrants, including women and children, lost their lives after two boats capsized near the Kerkennah Islands off central Tunisia, officials reported today. Rescuers managed to save 83 people, all of whom were from sub-Saharan African countries, according to Zied Sdiri, head of civil defence in Sfax.
The Tunisian National Guard added that search operations were ongoing for other missing passengers. Tunisia has emerged in recent years as a major departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe. Italy’s Lampedusa Island is just 150 kilometers away.
The treacherous crossing of the Mediterranean has been unusually deadly of late. In December, two separate shipwrecks off Sfax claimed more than 35 lives and brought to “600 to 700” the number of migrants reported dead or missing off Tunisia in 2023, according to the Tunisian human rights group FTDES. More than 1,300 migrants died or disappeared across the Mediterranean last year.
Authorities have blamed the increase in shipwrecks on worsening weather and unsafe vessels. The crisis surely requires international attention and solutions with respect to the migrant crisis in the region.
News Editor
Journalist and Newscaster
Leave a Reply