Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Geneva, SANA- Over 400 migrants died while attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean between January and March of this year, making it the deadliest first quarter on record since 2017, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday.
“The persisting humanitarian crisis in the central Mediterranean is intolerable,” said IOM Director General António Vitorino was quoted by Reuters as saying.
“With more than 20,000 deaths recorded on this route since 2014, I fear that these deaths have been normalized. States must respond. Delays and gaps in State-led SAR are costing human lives ” Vitorino added.
IOM said the rise in deaths comes amidst delays in State-led rescue responses and hindrance to SAR operations carried out by non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Manar Salameh/ Ruaa al-Jazaeri
