It is with deep sorrow and anguish that we stand before, once again, the unspeakable tragedies that unfolded in the waters of the Aegean Sea, the watery graveyard of human lives.
Among the people unjustly lost in the icy waters were babies, the youngest only four months old, women and children. A mother mourned three of her children, while a father lost his wife and daughter, lives that were cut short too soon, dreams that were not fulfilled and families that were destroyed.
In November, at least 17 people died trying to reach Greece, bringing the tragic toll to 45 deaths since the beginning of the year, UNHCR said. “The urgent need for long-term solutions and safer and more reliable alternatives” for people fleeing conflict, persecution, violence or human rights violations, said UNHCR’s representative in Greece, Maria Clara Martin.
“Counting lives lost at sea cannot become the norm – we must not get used to it,” Martin said.
Relevant authorities, both at the national and European level, must make more concerted efforts to ensure the protection of those at risk and invest in policies that respect and safeguard human rights.
The lives lost are not just numbers; they are souls fighting for hope and the right to life. Babies, children, mothers and fathers who sought safety found death instead. There are no words that can soothe the pain of the families who mourn. This injustice fills us with immense sadness but also with the determination to fight for a world where such tragedies will never be repeated!
Read UNHCR’s full statement HERE
