The cumulative total of migrant fatalities at sea was unprecedented over such a short period, Tunisia's National Guard has declared. The deaths of mostly sub-Saharan Africans come amid an ongoing spike in migration northwards.
Around 210 migrant bodies have washed up on Tunisia's coastline in a time period of less than two weeks, the country's coast guard announced on Friday (April 28).
Preliminary examinations of the bodies indicated that the migrants were from sub-Saharan Africa, according to Houssemeddine Jebabli from the National Guard. Jebabli said the bodies were in a decomposed state, suggesting they had been in the water for several days.
About 70 of the bodies were recovered from the beaches of eastern Sfax, the neighboring Kerkennah islands and Mahdia, according to prosecutor Faouzi Masmoudi, who oversees migration issues. The areas are key launchpads for migrants hoping to reach the Italian coast and the island of Lampedusa – whose coastline is less than 150 kilometers (90 miles) from Tunisia.
Tunisian hospitals 'beyond capacity'
Officials on Friday said morgues and hospitals in Sfax were full.
"On Tuesday, we had more than 200 bodies, well beyond the capacity of the hospital, which creates a health problem," said Masmoudi.
"There is a problem with large numbers of corpses arriving on the shore. We don't know who they are or what shipwreck they came from – and the number is increasing," Masmoudi said, adding that local authorities are trying to speed up burials of the victims after carrying out DNA exams and possible identification by relatives.
Funerals 'almost every day'
There are funerals "almost every day to reduce the pressure on hospitals," he said.
The number of migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, Syria and Sudan, trying to reach Italy from Tunisia by boat has risen sharply in recent months, in part because of a crackdown on departures by authorities in neighboring Libya. Tunisia is also in the midst of a worsening economic crisis that has pushed many to seek better lives abroad.
According to Romdhane Ben Amor from the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), over 220 dead and missing migrants have been recorded this year to April 24 – mostly from sub-Saharan Africa.
With AP, Reuters and AFP