Twin Sisters Left Adrift in Mediterranean as Migrant Vessel Arrives in Italy
In a harrowing turn of events, two one-year-old twin girls are missing at sea after their migrant vessel reached the Italian island of Lampedusa earlier this week. Save the Children has confirmed that 61 people, including the missing sisters' mother and 22 unaccompanied minors, were rescued from the boat in "extremely difficult conditions" brought on by Cyclone Harry.
The organization reported that the migrants had braved stormy seas for at least three days before arriving in Lampedusa. However, they described having departed from Tunisia in a state of great physical and psychological distress. Tragically, one man died after disembarking the boat.
This incident marks the latest in a string of devastating maritime disasters off the coast of Lampedusa. Last October, 49 people, including 12 children under the age of five, lost their lives when their boat capsized while en route to Italy. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has recorded nearly 1,000 deaths and disappearances in the Central Mediterranean this year alone.
The numbers are staggering: over 25,000 deaths since 2014, with at least 30 children losing their lives off the coast of Tunisia so far this year. Tunisian nationals make up more than 60 percent of Central Mediterranean crossings, largely due to high unemployment rates and deepening socioeconomic and political hardships in the country.
Save the Children's director of institutional relations, Giorgia D'Errico, is calling on the European Union to take responsibility for the lives lost during these perilous journeys. "We cannot silently watch the loss of human lives, including so many children," she said. "This unacceptable massacre must end."
In a harrowing turn of events, two one-year-old twin girls are missing at sea after their migrant vessel reached the Italian island of Lampedusa earlier this week. Save the Children has confirmed that 61 people, including the missing sisters' mother and 22 unaccompanied minors, were rescued from the boat in "extremely difficult conditions" brought on by Cyclone Harry.
The organization reported that the migrants had braved stormy seas for at least three days before arriving in Lampedusa. However, they described having departed from Tunisia in a state of great physical and psychological distress. Tragically, one man died after disembarking the boat.
This incident marks the latest in a string of devastating maritime disasters off the coast of Lampedusa. Last October, 49 people, including 12 children under the age of five, lost their lives when their boat capsized while en route to Italy. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has recorded nearly 1,000 deaths and disappearances in the Central Mediterranean this year alone.
The numbers are staggering: over 25,000 deaths since 2014, with at least 30 children losing their lives off the coast of Tunisia so far this year. Tunisian nationals make up more than 60 percent of Central Mediterranean crossings, largely due to high unemployment rates and deepening socioeconomic and political hardships in the country.
Save the Children's director of institutional relations, Giorgia D'Errico, is calling on the European Union to take responsibility for the lives lost during these perilous journeys. "We cannot silently watch the loss of human lives, including so many children," she said. "This unacceptable massacre must end."
those twin girls cant be alone in that situation 
61 ppl rescued but 2 of them twins left behind it's like EU didnt take care of these ppl n its not fair at all 
save the children really spoke truth to power but still so many lives lost 
30 kids already this yr and u cant put a number on how many parents died 1 man dead after landing 
EU gotta do more tho 
. And that Cyclone Harry just added insult to injury, those people were already living on the edge, can't imagine what it must've been like to be stuck in the storm 
Oh great, another day, another Mediterranean maritime disaster 
. And to think they had to endure Cyclone Harry... poor buggers 
. The EU needs to step up its game and take responsibility for these incidents. It's just common sense 
. I mean, how many more lives do we need to lose before we act? 1,000+ this year alone? Are they counting on us to cry ourselves to sleep over it at night 
?
It's like something out of a horror movie, you know? And the conditions they were in? Cyclone Harry and all that... it's just not right. I mean, these kids should be playing with dolls and watching cartoons, not fighting for their lives on a boat. 
25,000 deaths since 2014? That's just... *shakes head* It's like we've gotten too numb to care. 
save the children said they braved those seas for days in super bad conditions and one man died after getting off the boat 
its just not right ppl u gotta think about them fam 
I'm telling you, something fishy is going on here... like, what if these migrants aren't really refugees? What if they're just pawns in a bigger game? 
The EU's all about keeping it "orderly" and "safe", but I think they're really worried about the optics of people dying at sea. It's all about PR, fam! 
Those numbers are like, totally suspicious... 25k+ deaths since 2014? That's some wild stuff. And what's with Tunisia being the hub? Is it just a coincidence that they're struggling economically and politically? I don't think so, tbh. It's all about control and power. 
The EU's got its finger on the pulse, but we need to stay vigilant and question everything. 
The organization's efforts to save those stranded at sea are truly commendable, but more needs to be done to prevent such catastrophes in the future. Climate change, economic disparities, and lack of opportunities in Tunisia are creating an urgent need for migration, and it's our collective responsibility to address these underlying issues. 
the eu needs to step up their game and do more to help these ppl out 
save the children is literally doing everything they can, but it's not enough rn 
we need some real change ASAP 
I feel for Giorgia D'Errico saying we gotta do more but taking responsibility isn't that simple when it comes to complex international issues... what if EU just opens borders and lets everyone in? 
but it's just so unfair that they're having to go through all this trauma at such a young age 
Save the Children is doing amazing work as always 
but what about the ones who aren't? 
so many lives are being lost, over 25k since 2014... that's just crazy 
. I mean, can we even talk about how messed up the situation is here?