صراط عشق صراط عشق
Nearly 3,800 people died on migration routes in and out of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region last year (January to December 2022), the highest number since 2017, according to new data. 4255 deaths have been recorded from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Missing Migrants Project (MMP).
According to the new report, more than half of the total 6,877 deaths recorded worldwide by MMP were in the MENA region, Reliefweb reported.
203 deaths were recorded on the North African land routes, particularly during the dangerous crossing of the Sahara desert, while an additional 825 deaths occurred on the Middle East land routes. Libya recorded the highest number of deaths on land routes in North Africa with 117 deaths, followed by Algeria (54), Morocco (13), Tunisia (10) and Egypt (9).
The lack of official data and limited access to land routes for civil society and international organizations suggests that the actual number of deaths on migration routes into and out of the MENA region is likely to be much higher than reported.
Coco Warner, director of the Global Data Institute, which hosts the MMP, said: “Our data shows that 92 percent of people who die on the road remain unidentified. “The tragic loss of life on dangerous migration routes highlights the importance of data and analytics in driving action.”
It’s also stated, the highest number of deaths on land routes in the region last year occurred in Yemen, where targeted violence against migrants has intensified. Of the 867 deaths recorded on the Horn of Africa-Yemen crossing, at least 795, believed to be mostly Ethiopians, died en route between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, mostly in Yemen’s Saada province on the northern border.
The International Organization for Migration calls for increased international and regional cooperation as well as resources to address this humanitarian crisis and prevent further casualties in line with Goal 8 of the Global Compact on Migration (GCM).
On sea routes from MENA to Europe in 2022, an increasing number of fatalities occurred after boats left Lebanon for Greece and Italy. At least 174 deaths were recorded following these attempts, accounting for almost half of all fatalities on the eastern Mediterranean route last year. About 84 percent of those who have died on the sea routes remain unaccounted for, leaving desperate families searching for answers.
In an attempt to direct persistent data gaps, the IOM Libya Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) launched a system to track incidents reported by key informants in remote areas along key migration routes and Libyan borders in late 2021. This collaboration with MMP has made this possible.
Inclusion of 52 incidents along the treacherous crossing of the Sahara Desert in the MMP database. The DTM tool is critical for addressing data gaps in remote locations where eyewitness testimony is the only record of a migrant’s death.
