Eleven Children Die Every Week Searching For a Better Life- The Hard Truth

Every week, hundreds of children board boats on the shores of North Africa, hoping to reach Europe and find a better life. Many of them are fleeing violence, poverty, persecution or conflict in their home countries. Some of them are alone, separated from their parents or guardians. All of them are risking their lives on one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world.

According to UNICEF, at least 289 children have died or gone missing this year while attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean Sea. That's nearly 11 children every week who lose their lives or disappear in the vast waters. Since 2018, UNICEF estimates that around 1,500 children have died or gone missing on this route, accounting for one in five of all casualties.

These numbers are shocking and heartbreaking, but they may not even reflect the true scale of the tragedy. Many shipwrecks leave no survivors or go unrecorded, making it impossible to verify how many children have perished or vanished at sea. The stories of those who survive are often harrowing and traumatic, as they face abuse, exploitation, detention or deportation along the way.

As a global community, we cannot turn a blind eye to this humanitarian crisis. We cannot let these children become invisible or forgotten. We have a moral and legal obligation to protect their rights and dignity, and to ensure they have access to safety, education and opportunities.

UNICEF is calling for more action to create safe and legal pathways for children to access asylum, while strengthening efforts to rescue lives at sea. UNICEF is also urging governments and partners to address the root causes that make children risk their lives in the first place, such as poverty, conflict, climate change and human rights violations.

We can all do something to help these children. We can raise awareness about their plight, donate to organizations that support them, advocate for policies that protect them, and show compassion and solidarity with them. These children are not just numbers or statistics. They are human beings with dreams and hopes, just like us. They deserve our respect and empathy.