Nearly 9,000 migrants lost their lives in 2024 while attempting dangerous journeys across regions like the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, making it the deadliest year on record, the UN migration agency reported on Friday.
“The rising death toll across multiple regions highlights the urgent need for a global, coordinated response to prevent further tragedies,” said Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director General for Operations at the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
According to the IOM, at least 8,938 people perished on migration routes last year. Asian migration routes recorded the highest number of fatalities, followed by the Mediterranean and African routes, including the treacherous Sahara crossing.
Since 2021, the annual number of recorded migrant deaths has steadily risen, with many more likely unaccounted for due to incomplete data, the agency noted. The IOM has tracked such fatalities since at least 2014.
The Geneva-based organization is among several aid groups facing severe funding cuts from the United States, forcing reductions or closures of critical programs—a move the agency warns will have dire consequences for vulnerable migrants.
