ROME: Hundreds of migrants are feared missing or dead following a series of shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean this month, the United Nations (UN) migration agency warned on Monday, describing the incidents as a major humanitarian tragedy.
Read More: Around 40 missing in Italy migrant boat shipwreck: UN
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said it was “deeply concerned” by reports of multiple boats sinking over the past 10 days, with preliminary information suggesting that hundreds of people may have disappeared at sea. The agency said it was still verifying details but warned that severe weather conditions had significantly hindered search and rescue efforts.
The UN’s migration agency says hundreds of migrants may be missing or dead following reports of multiple shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea in the past 10 days – including 104 missing since Jan 23. Severe weather is hampering search and rescue.https://t.co/PXuA0koqr3 pic.twitter.com/4t3WN4ZQjt
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 26, 2026
IOM spokesperson Jorge Galindo said at least three shipwrecks were reported on January 23 and 25, with a minimum of 100 deaths feared. The boats were believed to have departed from Tunisia and Libya, according to Merna Abdelazim, a data analyst with the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project.
The agency confirmed that three deaths had been recorded in Lampedusa, Italy, following a rescue operation involving a boat that departed from Sfax in Tunisia. Among the victims were twin girls, approximately one year old, who died of hypothermia shortly before reaching shore. A man from the same boat also died from hypothermia. Survivors told rescuers that another vessel which left from the same location at the same time had never arrived.
The IOM is also investigating reports of nine missing boats that left Tunisia between January 14 and 21, carrying an estimated 380 people. The incidents occurred as Cyclone Harry swept across the Mediterranean, further complicating rescue operations.
Describing the events as “another major tragedy,” the IOM warned that the final death toll could be significantly higher. The agency condemned migrant smuggling networks for sending people to sea in overcrowded and unseaworthy boats, particularly during severe storms.
Read More: At least 30 migrants missing in shipwrecks off Italy
The IOM said the central Mediterranean remains the world’s deadliest migration route, noting that at least 1,340 migrants died there last year. Since 2014, more than 33,000 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated international action.