The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday that around 765 people have died in the Central Mediterranean so far this year more than 460 higher than during the same period last year
More than 180 people are feared dead or missing following a series of shipwrecks in the Mediterranean over the past 10 days, according to the United Nations, bringing the total number of deaths to nearly 1,000 since the beginning of 2026.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday that around 765 people have died in the Central Mediterranean so far this year more than 460 higher than during the same period last year.
“In total, at least 990 deaths have been recorded across the Mediterranean in 2026,” the IOM said in a statement, describing it as “one of the deadliest starts to a year since 2014,” when it began tracking the data.
The agency added that since March 28 alone, at least 181 people have died or gone missing in five separate shipwrecks.
In the most recent incident on Sunday, more than 80 migrants were reported missing after their boat capsized in rough weather in the Central Mediterranean.
The vessel, which had departed from Tajoura in Libya, was carrying about 120 people.
Libya remains a major transit route for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.
The country has been unstable since a 2011 uprising that led to the overthrow and killing of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.
According to the IOM, 32 survivors were rescued by a merchant ship and a tugboat and later taken to Lampedusa by the Italian coast guard.
Two bodies were also recovered.
The small Italian island of Lampedusa is a key entry point into Europe for migrants crossing from North Africa, with many losing their lives during the dangerous journey.
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