UN reports 144 migrants and refugees dead or missing off Mauritania coast

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reports that 144 migrants and refugees are listed as dead or missing after maritime incidents off the coast of Mauritania last week. France 24 and NDTV both cite UNHCR figures that cover multiple rescue and disembarkation efforts carried out in Nouadhibou between July 14 and July 18. During those operations, rescuers bring 387 people of different nationalities safely ashore. France 24 adds that two children were recovered and brought safely to shore from one of the boats that sank; the children had reportedly lost their families during the journey, which started from or involved Gambia. While the accounts focus on the reported death toll and missing persons, they also highlight that coordinated rescues result in the arrival of hundreds of survivors in Mauritania. All reports attribute the figures to UNHCR’s account of the incidents and the subsequent rescue and disembarkation activities.