The year 2024 saw an alarming surge in migrant deaths, making it the deadliest year on record, with nearly 9,000 lives lost worldwide, according to the United Nations.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) revealed on Friday that at least 8,938 people perished while attempting to migrate, marking the fifth consecutive year of record-high fatalities.
“The tragedy of the growing number of migrant deaths worldwide is both unacceptable and preventable,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM’s deputy director. She emphasized that behind each statistic lies a personal story of loss and suffering.
The actual number of deaths could be even higher, as many cases go undocumented due to a lack of official records, IOM added.
Deadliest Routes for Migrants in 2024
Mediterranean Sea: 2,452 migrants lost their lives, making it the deadliest migration route to Europe.
Asia: 2,778 recorded deaths.
Africa: 2,242 deaths.
Americas: At least 1,233 deaths, including a record 174 fatalities in the treacherous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama.
Caribbean: An unprecedented 341 lives lost as migrants attempted perilous sea crossings.
The UN’s findings paint a grim picture of a worsening humanitarian crisis, calling for urgent global action to prevent further tragedies.
