Over 1,000 migrants have died or disappeared in the Americas in 2023, mainly as a result of lacking "options for safe and regular" mobility, a new report by a United Nations agency showed.
The report, by the International Organization for Migration, tallied 1,148 deaths or disappearances last year in the region, saying the aforementioned unsafe context "increases the chances that migrants will take irregular paths that can endanger their lives.
Central America is the subregion in which most of the incidents have taken place, likely in the Darien Gap, the treacherous jungle path used by hundreds of thousands of migrants to travel to North America. Last year, over half a million people crossed the Darien Gap on their way up north.
Overall, 591 deaths or disappearances took place in Central America. North America followed in the list, with 336 deaths or disappearances. South America had the lowest figures, with 89.
Men were the most affected demographic, with 525, but 463 deaths or disappearances remain unidentified, likely making the figure higher. 463 women died or disappeared while migrating in 2023, the number being 85 for children and teenagers.
As for the main causes, drowning topped the list with 398 deaths or disappearances, while 290 incidents as a result of being in a dangerous mean of transportation were the second cause. Extreme weather or sanitary conditions, violence and disease were among the other reasons listed.
The report also showed that 8,847 people died while migrating in The Americas over the past decade. It was a slightly higher figure than the 8,565 people who died while migrating last year at a global level, according to another report by the UN.
2023 wasn't the deadliest year for migrants in The Americas, but it was for the entire world, the IOM said. "The 2023 death toll represents a tragic increase of 20% compared to 2022, highlighting the urgent need for action to prevent further loss of life," said the global report, which highlighted that the most dangerous path in the world was the Mediterranean Sea, which saw at least 3,129 deaths as migrants attempted to reach Europe.
"These horrifying figures collected by the Missing Migrants Project are also a reminder that we must recommit to greater action that can ensure safe migration for all so that 10 years from now, people aren't having to risk their lives in search of a better one," IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels said. So far in 2024, 512 migrants have died in these circumstances, the report added.
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