The United Nations confirmed on Friday that at the least 40 migrants misplaced their lives when a ship they have been touring in caught hearth off the coast of Cap-Haïtien in Haiti.
Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres, revealed throughout a every day briefing that the boat had departed from Labadee final Wednesday, carrying over 80 individuals en path to the Turks and Caicos Islands, a journey of roughly 250 kilometers.
“We have now unhappy information from the north of Haiti. Colleagues from the Worldwide Group for Migration (IOM) say that at the least 40 migrants have died, and several other others have been injured, after a ship they have been touring in caught hearth off Cap Haitien,” Haq introduced.
“Forty-one surviving migrants who have been aboard have been rescued by the Haitian Coast Guard and are at present receiving medical care, meals, water, and psychosocial assist offered by IOM, in assist of the nationwide authorities. Eleven migrants have been taken to the closest hospital for remedy, together with burns,” he added.
Grégoire Goodstein, Head of IOM in Haiti, emphasised the tragic occasion’s significance, stating it underscores the essential want for secure and authorized pathways for migration.
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The IOM reported that greater than 86,000 migrants have been forcibly returned to Haiti by neighboring nations this 12 months.
In March alone, regardless of a surge in violence and the closure of airports all through the nation, compelled returns elevated by 46 p.c, reaching 13,000 individuals.
Since February 29, the coastguard within the north has noticed a rise within the variety of makes an attempt and departures by boat. Coastguards from nations within the area, together with america, the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos islands, and Jamaica, have additionally reported a rising variety of boats originating from Haiti being intercepted at sea.
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