Up to 1,000 migrants are feared missing in the central Mediterranean following severe conditions caused by Storm Harry in mid-January, according to Italy-based non-governmental organization Mediterranea Saving Humans.
Citing testimonies from refugee networks in Libya and Tunisia, the NGO said several boats departed from the coastal city of Sfax in Tunisia carrying migrants, including women and children. Approximately 380 people were reportedly on board these boats, but none had been rescued as of January 24, and no confirmed search-and-rescue operations were reported.
In a statement issued on Monday, Mediterranea Saving Humans President Laura Marmorale described the situation as potentially the deadliest tragedy on the central Mediterranean route so far this year. She criticized the governments of Italy and Malta for remaining silent and failing to take effective action.
According to information from Tunisia’s migrant community, security pressure increased around informal migrant camps near Sfax after January 15, while coastal surveillance was reportedly relaxed in some areas. As a result, many boats set off towards Europe, but most never returned.
Local sources said one human trafficker alone sent five boats, each carrying between 50 and 55 people. Additional boats also departed from the southern coast of Sfax. However, only one boat managed to reach Italy’s Lampedusa island on January 22. One passenger was found dead on board, while a pair of one-year-old twins reportedly went missing at sea.
The NGO also reported that Maltese authorities recently recovered dozens of floating bodies from the sea. Despite this, no official information has been released by European maritime authorities regarding the incidents.
The central Mediterranean remains one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, with human rights groups repeatedly warning that limited rescue efforts and strict border controls are contributing to rising death tolls at sea.
