UP to 1,000 migrants are feared to have been lost at sea in the central Mediterranean after extreme weather caused by storm Harry battered the region in mid-January.
The Italian NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans said the storm was one of the most dangerous maritime events recorded in the area in the past 20 years.
Testimony from migrant communities in Tunisia and Libya, combined with alerts issued by Rome’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, points to what the group described as a potentially catastrophic loss of life.
As of January 24, at least 380 people were reported missing across eight separate search-and-rescue cases.
All of the boats are believed to have departed from the Tunisian port city of Sfax between January 14 and January 21.
The vessels were carrying women, children and men.
None had been located at the time of the report.
Storm Harry, a powerful Mediterranean storm sometimes referred to as a medicane, generated waves exceeding 7m and wind gusts of more than 54 knots.
The conditions were described by the NGO as extremely hazardous for the small boats typically used by migrants attempting to reach Europe.
Testimonies collected from Tunisian migrant communities suggest several convoys left the coast during the storm.
Departures allegedly took place amid pressure from local authorities and reduced beach monitoring.
According to the NGO, one smuggler alone is believed to have sent five convoys carrying between 50 and 55 people each.
Dozens of other boats may also have set off.
Only one vessel is known to have reached land.
It arrived in Lampedusa on January 22 carrying a deceased person on board.
Two one-year-old children were reported missing at sea.
Maltese authorities have recovered dozens of bodies in the days since.
Laura Marmorale, president of Mediterranea Saving Humans, criticised European governments for what she described as a lack of transparency and action.
“The contours of the greatest tragedy in recent years are taking shape along the central Mediterranean routes,” she said.
“The governments of Italy and Malta remain silent and do nothing.”
The incident once again highlights the extreme dangers of the Mediterranean migration route.
It also underlines the urgent need for coordinated rescue operations as migrants continue to risk their lives in search of safety and opportunity.
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