The United Nations refugee agency expressed deep sorrow after reporting that more than 100 people died or went missing in two separate maritime incidents off the coast of Mauritania last week.
According to the agency, a total of 144 individuals were accounted for as dead or missing from the two voyages between July 14 and July 18. A total of 387 people were rescued.
In one incident, Mauritania’s coast guard reported that 122 people went missing after their boat, which departed from Gambia with 160 passengers bound for the Canary Islands, ran out of fuel and was adrift for 25 days. In a separate event, the coast guard rescued 179 individuals who had set sail from Senegal on Saturday.
The United Nations refugee agency highlighted that the route to the Canary Islands is one of the most perilous globally, characterized by long distances and the use of unseaworthy and overcrowded vessels.
Mauritania's coast has become a significant transit point for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa seeking to reach Europe due to persistent economic challenges in their home countries.