This month is already the deadliest January on record for migrants crossing the Aegean
- More than 40 drown in Aegean Sea
- Search continuing for survivors
- Cold weather not deterring migrants
The news
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More than 40 migrants and refugees have drowned after their boats went down in the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece.
20 children are among the dead.
Kalolimnos
Au moins 21 morts dans un naufrage en mer Égée entre les îles de Farmakonisi et Kalolimnos. #migrants #migrantcrisis pic.twitter.com/QXVOpJMmoi
— Visactu (@visactu) January 22, 2016
Friday drownings total 41, 34 off Kalolimnos (11 kids, 16 women, 7 men), 7 off Farmakonissi. https://t.co/GYB8Jmg0mf pic.twitter.com/rMzoQMXt4v
— Peter Bouckaert (@bouckap) January 22, 2016
One boat sank off the small Greek island of Kalolimnos. 34 people on board were drowned: seven men, 16 women and 11 children.
It is feared there were up to 100 on board. The search is continuing for more survivors.
The Greek coastguard says 26 people were rescued from the stricken vessel.
Farmakonisi
NewsRevo : RT BrunoTersago: Wooden boat w/ 48 #refugees sank off #Farmakonisi – 6 children… https://t.co/gG27M2bOb9) pic.twitter.com/SId4YF8JXr
— SpokaneIWW (@SpokaneIWW) January 22, 2016
Eight people lost their lives when their boat sank off the island of Farmakonisi.
48 people were on board. 41 made it to shore but one woman and six children were lost.
The context
Figures suggest an estimated 36,000 people have arrived on the Greek islands since the start of the month.
113 have died, making this the deadliest January since the start of the migrant crisis.
“The migrant flux is testament to the despair of refugees,” said the UNHCR’s spokeperson in Greece, Kaity Kehayioglu. “We must find more organised and secure legal means to manage the arrivals.”