The Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, described the deadly shipwrecks in the Aegean as yet another painful reminder that refugees and migrants continue to risk their lives and the lives of their children by undertaking dangerous sea crossings “in search of safety, protection, and simply a chance for a better life.”
He was speaking during a press briefing at UN headquarters in New York, where he referred to the two shipwrecks that occurred off the coasts of Lesbos and Samos, with reports of at least 12 dead, including an infant.
Citing information from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Dujarric stated that “at least 12 people, including an infant, are reported to have lost their lives in two shipwrecks off the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos that occurred today.”
He added that search and rescue operations are continuing off the coast of Samos, while the exact circumstances are still under investigation.
According to the data he provided, by the end of September, an estimated 2,444 people had been reported dead or missing since the beginning of the year along the three Mediterranean sea routes and the Atlantic sea route off the coast of West Africa.
SEE ALSO: Survivors of the deadly shipwreck off Lesbos are being treated at Vostaneio Hospital in Mytilene | AlphaNews
Source: KYPE