Mauritania’s coastguards have recovered 89 bodies from a migrant boat that capsized in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday.
Despite rescuing nine survivors, including a five-year-old girl, dozens more are still missing.
According to survivors, the vessel, a traditional fishing boat, departed last week from the Senegalese-Gambian border area with 170 people on board.
It capsized off the southwestern coast of Mauritania, a significant transit point for migrants attempting to reach Europe from West Africa.
Last year, thousands of boats embarked on this perilous journey from Mauritania, with the Canary Islands being the most common destination.
The Spanish government reported that nearly 40,000 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands last year, doubling the previous year’s number.
Migrants often risk the journey in overloaded boats, leading to tragic outcomes.
Caminando Fronteras, a charity, estimates that over 5,000 migrants died attempting to reach Spain by sea in the first five months of 2024.
In response to the crisis, the EU granted Mauritania €210 million in aid in April, with nearly €60 million allocated to combat undocumented migration to Europe.
Source-BBC
