iWatch Africa assessment of data provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) can confirm that an estimated 17,000 migrants have died since 2014 as a result of attempts to reach Europe through the Mediterranean.
The data also revealed that over 9000 of these migrants were of African origin. Though the death rate has reduced in the last two years, recorded death figures as at July 2018 indicates that over 2000 migrants have died this year alone compared to the over 6000 deaths in 2017. (https://www.wmpg.org/)
In 2018, 95 percent of deaths recorded were attributed to drowning or perceived drowning with the other causes of deaths attributed to hypothermia and cardiac arrest.
So far, the African Union has failed to come up with a comprehensive strategy to stem the flow of migrants into Europe which would have helped prevent these deaths. The European Union has also struggled to agree on a solution to the migration crisis that has engulfed the continent.
Infographic report below:
Report by Gideon Sarpong | iWatch Africa