An 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone has become the sole survivor of a devastating shipwreck near Italy’s Lampedusa. The tragedy, which occurred during a perilous migration journey, claimed the lives of all 44 other passengers on board, including women and children.
Rescuers found the child alone in the water during the early hours, wearing a life jacket and clinging to two tyre tubes. With no food or water, she had endured the sea for at least 12 hours before being pulled to safety. A doctor confirmed her prolonged exposure to the elements.
The girl recounted that the vessel, which departed from Sfax, Tunisia, sank during a storm. Among the deceased were her brother and cousin, who had accompanied her on the ill-fated journey.
This marks the third fatal migrant shipwreck in the Mediterranean in as many weeks, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region. Since 2014, nearly 31,000 individuals, including hundreds of children, have died or disappeared while attempting to cross the Mediterranean. Children account for one in five of those who undertake these dangerous journeys, with most fleeing poverty and violent conflict.
UNICEF urges immediate action
In the wake of this tragedy, UNICEF is calling on governments to strengthen protections for migrant children through measures such as:
- Legal pathways for children to seek safety and reunite with families.
- Coordinated search-and-rescue operations and safe disembarkation.
- Access to psychosocial support, legal aid, healthcare, and education.
UNICEF also stresses the need to tackle the root causes of migration and ensure the integration of migrants into host communities.
This tragedy highlights the urgent need for collective action to protect vulnerable migrants and prevent further loss of life on these perilous routes.
