{"id":4378,"date":"2025-04-17T18:31:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T18:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=4378"},"modified":"2025-04-17T18:31:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T18:31:02","slug":"never-again-broken-3500-children-dead-or-missing-in-central-mediterranean-crossings-over-past-decade-warns-unicef","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=4378","title":{"rendered":"\u201cNever Again\u201d Broken: 3,500 Children Dead or Missing in Central Mediterranean Crossings Over Past Decade, Warns UNICEF.\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cNever Again\u201d Broken: 3,500 Children Dead or Missing in Central Mediterranean Crossings Over Past Decade, Warns UNICEF.<\/h1>\n
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Geneva:<\/div>\n
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A decade after one of the deadliest shipwrecks in the Mediterranean\u2019s recent history, the tragic toll of child deaths on the dangerous Central Mediterranean migration route continues to mount. In stark remarks delivered today at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Nicola Dell\u2019Arciprete, UNICEF\u2019s Country Coordinator in Italy, revealed that an estimated 3,500 children have died or gone missing attempting the journey to Europe over the past ten years.<\/div>\n
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The figure averages one child lost every day, and Dell\u2019Arciprete warned that this number is likely a significant undercount, given the many unrecorded shipwrecks and undocumented disappearances.<\/div>\n
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Remembering the 2015 Tragedy<\/h4>\n
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\u201cTen years ago, around 1,050 people climbed aboard a flimsy wooden boat in Tripoli, Libya\u2026 Only 28 survived,\u201d Dell\u2019Arciprete recalled. The disaster, which claimed over 1,000 lives, sparked international outrage and vows that such tragedies would never happen again.<\/div>\n
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\u201cBut the promises of \u2018never again\u2019 have not been kept,\u201d she said.<\/div>\n
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Since then, more than 20,800 people have died on the Central Mediterranean route. Children account for nearly 17% of those making the crossing \u2014 and 70% of those children are traveling alone, without a parent or legal guardian. These unaccompanied minors are among the most vulnerable, often falling prey to traffickers, enduring abuse, and risking their lives aboard unsafe vessels.<\/div>\n
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The Human Cost of Unsafe Migration<\/h4>\n
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In her remarks, Dell\u2019Arciprete painted a grim picture of the suffering children endure in their quest for safety. Some arrive in Italy with burn injuries caused by fuel exposure, having spent days crammed into dark, airless cargo holds. Others show signs of trauma and neglect, bearing the psychological scars of exploitation and danger at every step of their journey.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThis is the price of the lack of safe, legal pathways \u2013 a price that is paid by children,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd it keeps the money flowing into the pockets of the traffickers.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Call for Urgent Action<\/h4>\n
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As the peak arrival season begins, Dell\u2019Arciprete issued an urgent call for governments across Europe to act decisively and with compassion. She urged the use of the Migration and Asylum Pact to prioritize child protection and rights in migration policies.<\/div>\n
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UNICEF\u2019s key recommendations include:<\/div>\n
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Coordinated search and rescue missions<\/div>\n
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Safe and predictable disembarkation procedures<\/div>\n
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Community-based reception systems<\/div>\n
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Full access to asylum services<\/div>\n
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Investment in services for all migrant children, regardless of their origin<\/div>\n
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Dell\u2019Arciprete emphasized that every child arriving in Europe \u2013 even in migration or first-reception centers \u2013 is entitled to the same rights and services as children born in the EU.<\/div>\n
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Situation on the Ground in Lampedusa<\/h4>\n
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Lampedusa, a frontline island in the Mediterranean migration crisis, has seen a recent uptick in arrivals. Dell\u2019Arciprete reported that in just a few days, around 1,000 people had arrived, including eighty unaccompanied minors.<\/div>\n
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While the current situation is under control, she warned of growing concerns regarding the capacity of first-reception facilities, the duration of children\u2019s stays, and the ability to ensure proper care as arrivals increase in the summer months.<\/div>\n
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A Decade of Broken Promises<\/h4>\n
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\u201cMore children are risking their lives to reach safety, and the urgency to act with principle and resolve has never been greater,\u201d Dell\u2019Arciprete concluded. \u201cWe need action now.\u201d<\/div>\n
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UNICEF continues to work on the ground in Italy, collaborating with the government and local partners to meet children\u2019s immediate needs and support their integration. The organization is also active in countries of origin, addressing the root causes that drive migration \u2014 including conflict, poverty, and climate change.<\/div>\n
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As Europe reflects on a decade since the 2015 tragedy, UNICEF\u2019s powerful message resounds: until safe pathways are created and child rights are fully protected, the Mediterranean will remain a graveyard for those seeking hope.<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cNever Again\u201d Broken: 3,500 Children Dead or Missing in Central Mediterranean Crossings Over Past Decade, Warns UNICEF. Geneva: A decade after one of the deadliest […]<\/p>\n

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