UN Reports More Than 72,000 Migrants Dead or Missing Worldwide Since 2014
The United Nations reported on Tuesday that over 72,000 deaths and disappearances have been recorded along global migration routes in the past ten years, primarily occurring in countries facing crises.
TroibNews 
The United Nations reported on Tuesday that over 72,000 deaths and disappearances have occurred along migration routes globally in the past decade, primarily in countries experiencing crises.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), last year marked the highest recorded death toll for migrants, with at least 8,938 casualties on migration routes.
"These numbers are a tragic reminder that people risk their lives when insecurity, lack of opportunity, and other pressures leave them with no safe or viable options at home," stated IOM chief Amy Pope.
The report from her agency indicated that almost three-quarters of the migrant deaths and disappearances documented since 2014 were connected to those fleeing insecurity, conflict, disaster, and other humanitarian crises.
The IOM's Missing Migrants Report highlighted that one in four migrant fatalities occurred among individuals from countries impacted by humanitarian crises. It noted the documented deaths of thousands of Afghans, Rohingya, and Syrians along migration paths worldwide.
The report revealed that over 52,000 people lost their lives while attempting to escape from one of the 40 nations where the UN has established either a crisis response or humanitarian response plan.
Pope called for international investment "to create stability and opportunity within communities, so that migration is a choice, not a necessity."
"And when staying is no longer possible, we must work together to enable safe, legal, and orderly pathways that protect lives," she added.
The Central Mediterranean continues to be the most perilous migration route globally, with nearly 25,000 individuals lost at sea over the past decade, according to the IOM.
The report detailed that over 12,000 of those losses occurred after departing from war-torn Libya, while many others went missing during their journey across the Sahara Desert.
In the past ten years, more than 5,000 people died while attempting to flee the crisis-laden Afghanistan, particularly following the Taliban's return to power in 2021.
Additionally, more than 3,100 members of Myanmar's Rohingya community perished during this timeframe, many due to shipwrecks or while attempting to enter Bangladesh.
"Too often, migrants fall through the cracks," cautioned Julia Black, coordinator of IOM's Missing Migrants Project and the report's author.
"And due to data gaps – especially in war zones and disaster areas – the true death toll is likely far higher than what we've recorded," she remarked in the statement.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), last year marked the highest recorded death toll for migrants, with at least 8,938 casualties on migration routes.
"These numbers are a tragic reminder that people risk their lives when insecurity, lack of opportunity, and other pressures leave them with no safe or viable options at home," stated IOM chief Amy Pope.
The report from her agency indicated that almost three-quarters of the migrant deaths and disappearances documented since 2014 were connected to those fleeing insecurity, conflict, disaster, and other humanitarian crises.
The IOM's Missing Migrants Report highlighted that one in four migrant fatalities occurred among individuals from countries impacted by humanitarian crises. It noted the documented deaths of thousands of Afghans, Rohingya, and Syrians along migration paths worldwide.
The report revealed that over 52,000 people lost their lives while attempting to escape from one of the 40 nations where the UN has established either a crisis response or humanitarian response plan.
Pope called for international investment "to create stability and opportunity within communities, so that migration is a choice, not a necessity."
"And when staying is no longer possible, we must work together to enable safe, legal, and orderly pathways that protect lives," she added.
The Central Mediterranean continues to be the most perilous migration route globally, with nearly 25,000 individuals lost at sea over the past decade, according to the IOM.
The report detailed that over 12,000 of those losses occurred after departing from war-torn Libya, while many others went missing during their journey across the Sahara Desert.
In the past ten years, more than 5,000 people died while attempting to flee the crisis-laden Afghanistan, particularly following the Taliban's return to power in 2021.
Additionally, more than 3,100 members of Myanmar's Rohingya community perished during this timeframe, many due to shipwrecks or while attempting to enter Bangladesh.
"Too often, migrants fall through the cracks," cautioned Julia Black, coordinator of IOM's Missing Migrants Project and the report's author.
"And due to data gaps – especially in war zones and disaster areas – the true death toll is likely far higher than what we've recorded," she remarked in the statement.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
