At least 15 people have died, and more than 150 are missing after a boat with 300 passengers capsized near Mauritania’s capital, Nouakchott, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“Approximately 300 people boarded a pirogue (a small boat) in Gambia and spent seven days at sea before the boat capsized near Nouakchott on July 22, 2024,” the IOM stated in a release on Wednesday.
The United Nations migration agency reported that 120 individuals had been rescued by the Mauritanian coast guard, while efforts continue to locate the missing persons.
“Among the survivors, 10 individuals were quickly taken to hospitals for medical treatment, and four unaccompanied children were identified,” said the IOM.
Ibba Sarr, a fishmonger at a coastal fish market in Nouakchott, noted that strong winds over the past two days had brought the bodies closer to the shore, and he witnessed around 30 bodies being collected from the beach. “Surely, other lifeless bodies will be discovered over the next two days,” Sarr told the news agency Reuters.
The Atlantic migration route from the coast of West Africa to the Canary Islands, commonly used by Africans seeking asylum or better job opportunities in Europe, is one of the world’s deadliest paths. Summer marks its busiest season.
More than 19,700 people reached the Canary Islands via the Atlantic route between January 1 and July 15, 2024, representing a 160 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the IOM.
However, nearly 5,000 people have also drowned at sea in the first five months of 2024 while attempting to reach the Spanish archipelago, as reported by the migration rights group Walking Borders.
Earlier this year, the European Union promised Mauritania financial assistance amounting to €210 million (approximately $229 million) to address migration and provide humanitarian aid.
However, according to human rights groups and migration analysts, the 27-member bloc’s policy of externalizing migration management through such agreements is unlikely to deter individuals fleeing conflicts and economic instability from attempting to enter Europe and seek asylum.