22 migrants from Mali, including three children, died near the Libyan coast, the government of Mali announced today.
The deceased were part of a group of 83 migrants stuck on a "ship in distress" since June 22, according to a statement from the Ministry of Malians Abroad, Reuters writes.
Of that number, 61 migrants were rescued with the help of the United Nations Migration Agency.
"Compared to previous years, in the first quarter of 2022, there was a significant increase in the flow of migrants through Niger and Mali to North Africa," according to a statement from the United Nations for Migration.
Analysts point to the impact of the Kovid-19 pandemic and the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine as driving factors, according to Reuters.
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