Last year was the deadliest on record, with 8,541 migrant victims. Nearly 60 per cent of deaths were linked to drowning. So far in 2024, the trends are just as alarming. Along the Mediterranean sea route alone – while arrivals this year are significantly lower (16,818) compared to the same period in 2023 (26,984) –…
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was addressing the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board when he said that “several outstanding issues” still needed to be resolved by governments and that time was “very short” to find consensus. “A failure to deliver the pandemic agreement and the International Health Regulations amendments will be a missed opportunity for which…
According to IOM, in the past two months alone, nearly 375,000 Afghans left Pakistan, primarily utilizing the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings, near Kabul and Kandahar, respectively. The number of daily border crossings has skyrocketed from 200 to a staggering 17,000, creating an unprecedented strain on resources and infrastructure. Desperate situation “Their situation is…
Speaking to reporters in Geneva on her first official day as head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope said that migrants were “people first” who should not be seen as a problem. That distinction was more critical than ever today, the IOM Director-General added, noting that it is almost 10 years since…
Nearly half of the deaths on the border were linked to the hazardous crossing of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. “These alarming figures are a stark reminder of the need for decisive action by States,” said Michele Klein Solomon, IOM’s Regional Director for Central and North America and the Caribbean. “Enhancing data collection is crucial….
IOM Regional Director Christopher Gascon told reporters in Geneva that 4,800 migrants were hosted by IOM at seven transit centres in the country, awaiting voluntary return. They were primarily from western Africa: Mali, Guinea, Senegal and Nigeria, he said. Charter flights Mr. Gascon said airport access was crucial to “organise charter flights in order to…
The International Conference on Development and Migration, held on Monday, brought together several UN agencies and representatives from multiple countries involved in managing migration flows to address challenges such as irregular migration and forced international displacement. ‘Complex challenges’ “Forced displacement and mixed movements are complex challenges for all: countries of origin, countries of transit and…
Speaking at a press briefing at the United Nations in Geneva, IOM’s spokesperson Paul Dillon said that according to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, more than 700,000 people were now internally displaced by the fighting, which began on 15 April. The number of IDPs increased in many areas, including the capital, where clashes were continuing, he…
Almost 3,300 arrived in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand last year, the UN agency said, a roughly 290 per cent rise over the 850 people recorded in 2021. IOM urged States in the region to work collectively to provide life-saving care and support to the refugees to prevent loss of life at sea during the migration journey….
António Vitorino, and Ms. Thunberg said they had “found much common ground” during a recent discussion about the impact of global climate change on human mobility. The Greta Thunberg Foundation has donated 275,000 Euros (around $269,000) to support IOM‘s emergency response to the historic floods in Pakistan and the crippling drought in Somalia. ‘Chain of…
