00:00The United Nations said Tuesday that 144 refugees and migrants were reported dead or missing
00:06after a tragic maritime incident off the coast of Mauritania last week.
00:10The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, said that overall three rescue and disembarkation operations
00:16were conducted between July 14 and 18 in Nwadibu.
00:20We and our colleagues at UNHCR are deeply saddened concerning the reports
00:23that 144 human beings are either dead or missing as a result of the tragic maritime accident
00:30off the coast of Mauritania last week.
00:33UNHCR, national authorities, and humanitarian partners were there for the three rescue
00:37and disembarkation, which took place last week.
00:42387 people were safely brought out.
00:45It's a stark reminder that despite sustained efforts by various partners to save lives,
00:50the route from West Africa towards the Canary Islands is one of the world's deadliest mixed-movement corridors
00:56with refugees and migrants attempting to reach Europe, facing the highest risk.
01:00Arrival to Europe on all the major rounds have dropped significantly this year compared to last year,
01:05but UNHCR stressed that deaths and disappearances at sea continued at alarming levels,
01:11with many incidents occurring far from public attention and often resulting in entire boats vanishing.
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